Letters

Plight of pensioners

THE EDITOR,Madam

I am a pensioner who served this country faithfully for 31 years. I started receiving my pension payments from the Accountant General's department since 2002. I noticed that the sum of $3,903.39 is drawn each month for Income Tax from the payment. This is commuted from the total figure (e.g. $100 x 12 = $1,200.00) instead of the tax being drawn after the tax exempted portion is applied. I went to the Tax Assessment division on East Street and applied for a waiver on my Income Tax payment. I was told to obtain copies of my P24 from the Accountant General's department and submit same. I submitted same for the year 2003 on the 25th January, 2005. I was unable to obtain the P24 for 2004 as the year had just ended.

I eventually received this form two weeks later and submitted it to the Tax Assessment department the same day. I was informed on the 25th January, 2005 that a cheque for the refund would be ready in two months time. I checked back at this department and was told that the refund for the year 2003 was calculated, but no cheques could be drawn at this time based on information from the Ministry of Finance. I was also told that the cheque for the year 2004 would not be ready at the same time, as the P24 was not submitted at the same time even though both forms had on the same figures. I would have to wait for another two months before I receive same. I would like to ask the following questions:

Would it not be more cost-effective to draw a single cheque for both years than to draw two separate cheques?

The workers in the government service ­ are they going to become pensionable one day and are they going to go through all these bundlings for their payments?

It is a crying shame that you can never get to speak to anyone in authority when you visit these offices as they are never in office. I am hoping that one day some Government will take the plight of the pensioners seriously and treat us with respect.

I am, etc.,

E. CLARKE

Greater Portmore