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Disability
is not Inability |
:: Government Paying Lip-Service
to the disability tax exemption law.
This is an election year, the government is busy
giving goodies to all except the disability community. The Ministry
of Finance has recinded the decision to implement a clause in
the Persons with
Disability ACT 2004 which provides Tax
exemption to persons with disabilities.
I think the time has come that we take our votes elsewhere! The
ministry had began implementing the ACT and sections of staff
working in various organisations have had their salary slips with
the tax deductions. Confusion
has seen the implementation of the ACT for some time.
"We have had been exempt for some time now. About six months
then all of a sudden without any explanations they started making
deductions again" Say Relan. This is unfair. "The government
is breaking the law. They should through the ACT away instead
of cheating us." said the clearly angered employee.
The Government passed a Law that exempt persons with disabilities
from paying income Tax as a way to compensate for disability relief.
The ACT has seen the establishment of the National
Council for Persons with disabilities which the government
allocated a paltry Kshs 8 million (about USD 120,000) in 2005
and 6 million in 2006-7 financial years.
Inside sources say the Government recinded the decision after
realising it was prudent to wait for the results of the Persons
with disability Survey currently going on. "We
dont want a situation in which we may not be able to afford the
exemptions" said an offcial on condition of anonymity.
" They said they cannot prove that we are deaf" Said
another staff member of a local organisation. What is the registration
at the NCPWD for if the Ministry of Finance cannot prove who deaf
people are. " I think they should implement on a case by
sae basis as they had started" Said an official of the a
national umbrella organisation. "they should avoid the confusion...
we may have to seek political support elsewhere" He Said.
"They think we are weak and cannot have any influence with
our votes. If they continue like this we will definitely Vote
for another party like ODM" Said the Leader.
disabilitykenya.
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