Taxi tax amnesty

As part of the taxi recapitalisation process, taxi owners who have not been paying tax must do so, but they have an amnesty.

Department of Transport spokesperson Colleen Msibi said that the taxi owners will not have to pay tax from the day they started their business. “They must register from 2006. Those not registered will not be able to change their taxi permits into the new operational licenses.

Registering for tax is part of the process of changing permits into licenses. The deadline for taxi owners to change their permits into licenses was May 31 this year. So far, about 85 per cent of taxi owners have applied for the new licenses,” he said.

Msibi said it was time that taxi owners were treated like any other businesses that pay tax because they were also business people making a profit. – Ndivhuwo Khangale 

Bucket toilets removed 

Municipalities in Limpopo are spending R7,5-million on projects to give residents toilet (sewerage) systems that work with water.  The Greater Tzaneen municipality is spending R4,5 million to connect sewerage pipes to the homes of 480 families. The families, in Lenyenye outside Tzaneen, were using pit toilets.  The Greater Letaba municipality is removing septic tanks in Modjadjiskloof (formerly Duiwelskloof) over a period of time, at a cost of R3 million. The project is already underway and is expected to be completed by June next year.  A sewerage plant will be built in the town and houses will be linked to a sewerage system that works with water. The project will create a number of jobs in the area.  About 45 000 bucket toilets will be removed countrywide and households will be given proper sewerage systems by 2007. This will be done through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).  - Neville Maakana, BuaNews   

Don’t get tricked! 

The SA Police Service (SAPS) warned people to be careful of the “SA 2010 World Cup Bid Lottery.” This is a scam that tricks people into believing that they can win a lot of money.   Through letters and e-mail messages, people are told that they won the Lotto, said Captain Percy Morokane of the SAPS. The “winner” would be given some sort of a certificate to “prove” that he had won the prize. He is asked to fill in some forms on the Internet giving personal information such as private banking details. They are also asked to pay a certain amount of money before they can claim their prize. They never receive a prize. “We strongly warn people about this and similar scams,” Morokane said.  People who have received any letters or messages asking them for money and information about themselves, must report it to the police.   The only way to take part in the Lotto is to buy a Lotto ticket from a National Lottery outlet in South Africa.  -  Lavinia Mahlangu, BuaNews