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Prepare for old age, New Vision 6/7/2003
The recent plans by MPs to grant themselves a pension in addition to the terminal benefits which they are already earning monthly has shocked many people. But are MPs to blame for such flowed thinking? If such mature and presumably nationalistic people can try to add to the burden that is already straining the narrow tax base, there has to be a fundamental problem with this society.
Before we rush to condemn the MPs as greedy, inconsiderate or unrealistic, it is important to examine the source of such irrational behaviour. If anybody knows the resource constraints facing the governments, it must be the MPs. After all, they are the ones who debate and approve the budget. They even first have to approve if government is to borrow from outside to supplement the narrow tax revenue. So for the same people to seek to take more billions out of the treasury for an expense that does not increase productivity, something has to be wrong. Very wrong. It shows that many of our people grow
up imagining that society owes them a living, even when they are no longer contributing. However warped the thinking of our MPs may appear to a normal person, we have to remember these are our people. They came from us. No non-citizens can go through the electoral process to become an MP. Their failings are in a way ours. What they need is education about productivity equity and justice. And above all, how to prepare for their old age.
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Published on: Sunday, 6th July, 2003 |
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