COLONIAL PENSIONS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30724, 13 April 1965, Page 18

COLONIAL PENSIONS

Tax Increase Criticised

The proposed new double taxation of pensioners who had been in the British 1 Colonial Service would drive flocks of persons out of New Zealand, Mr A. G. Robb, a former Malayan public servant, said in Christchurch yesterday

The pensions were not double-taxed in Australia, he said. Anybody who had enough money to shift would probably head across the Tasman.

“1 have recently had a pensions increment paid by the British Government and the recent change in New Zealand taxation has absorbed 75 per cent of it,” said Mr Robb.

“The whole idea of the increased increment was to bring persons like myself into line with retired British public servants in similar positions.”

Mr Robb, a New Zealander by birth, said he served in Malaya for 25 years. Malayan income tax on his pension had risen by about 300 per cent in the last seven years.

“Taxes the world over are going up and New Zealand doesn’t seem to consider pensioners." said Mr Robb. “It should be the policy of the New Zealand Government to attract persons with overseas income to this country, rather than to drive them away.”