The Hindu : Taxed citizens

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 01, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Taxed citizens

Sir, — The Kelkar panel's proposals on tax reforms seem to give fiscal support to low income groups and more security to senior citizens. The tax revenue in the last 40 years has gone up many hundred times but the per capita income of the average citizen has not gone up. Now, loan interest and excise duties have gone down, but this has not resulted in lower selling prices of products. In India, more than 60 per cent of the GDP is collected through various forms of taxes while in developed nations it is less than 20 per cent. It would be appropriate if the burden of taxes sits light on lower income groups enabling them to save at least some portion of their income.

K.S. Sivasankaran,
Chennai

Sir, — The life of senior citizens, widows and the physically-challenged, who have been drawing sustenance from the interest on fixed deposits, the small savings schemes and bonds is getting miserable due to the ever-falling interest rates. The policymakers of the new interest regime have become insensitive to all appeals. A meagre 0.5 per cent additional interest to senior citizens given on bank deposits is an eyewash. Aping the West, without taking care of the old and the infirm, is not desirable.

T.S. Rao,
Visakhapatnam

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

Stories in this Section

A sensible move

Starved of funds

Devaluing the NHRC

Anatomy of terrorism in South Asia — I

Killing two birds with one stone

Countering Pak.'s nuclear blackmail