As the tax season officially got off the ground on Wednesday, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) had already received more than 17 000 tax returns via branches and mobile units across the country by 8am.

More than 29 400 tax returns were filed via eFilling.

The tax season runs from July to November every year, however, provisional taxpayers who submit via the electronic filing system have until January next year.

Individual taxpayers, who submit their returns manually or by post, must do so by 30 September this year, non-provisional taxpayers who submit at a Sars branch have until 27 November.

This is also the deadline for taxpayers who do not pay provisional tax. Provisional taxpayers have until 29 January.

Ordinary tax payers arrived early in the morning to file their tax returns at the Sars branch in Pretoria.

Reason Masiyiwa said he was surprised by the fast pace at which service was delivered. “Normally, I would spend about three to four hours standing in the queue, but today it took about 30 minutes for me to be assisted,” said Masiyiwa.

He was happy to see that Sars, as a government entity, is improving their services. “They have improved a lot.”

Magdalene Dlamini described Sars’ service as “lovely” and said the consultants did not waste any time in getting her tax return processed. “There were no delays, and they got straight to the point, also, their uniform today made it easier for us to know who is who.

“I did not spend more than 20 minutes inside,” explained Dlamini, adding that it was great because she did not have much time to be in a queue at the branch.

William Mogorishi rated the Sars consultants very high, giving them 10 out of 10.

Speaking to the media after inspecting and engaging with taxpayers and branch staff on the first day of the tax filing season, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and Sars Commissioner Tom Moyane were happy that South Africans had heeded the call to submit their returns early.

“They are the example. You do not have to wait until the last day. It is better to file on the first day as it has its advantages like no stampedes or system crashing,” said Minister Nene, who hoped many South Africans would be encouraged to do the same.

The Minister said it was encouraging that most people preferred to come to the Sars branches and mobile units even though they could have accessed the services electronically.

“That also says the personal contact with taxpayers is an important element in our work,” said Minister Nene.

He was encouraged by the enthusiasm and the spirit demonstrated by the staff who had been up since the early hours of the morning.

Paying tax, a Sars official said, was patriotic because the tax turned into domestic investments and money to build schools, clinics and help elderly people through services such as social grants.

To make the filing process easier, Monyane said over 14 000 Sars officials will be deployed at various strategic points throughout the country. About 21 temporary service points have been be set up to help people submit their returns.

Sars has also invested in new technology to make the system easier, said Monyane.

“The technology which we invested in is really paying off as it has made life much easier for our people.”

Sars will also be investing in biometric analysis system in future in order to verify people’s documentation in order to eliminate the risk of identify theft.

People whose income is less than R350 000 do not have to file a return, unless they have more than one employer, have a rental income or receive a car allowance. The last seasons’ threshold was R250 000.

National Treasury has set a collection target of R1.1 trillion for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

Although taxpayers are keen to file early to get a refund from Sars, they have been advised that they need to have all the required supporting documentation before filing, and confirm whether they are legally required to file.

The most common required documentation a taxpayer needs to file includes:

· IRP5 issued by employer

· Proof of medical expenses, such as medical aid and other invoices if applicable

· Interest received certificate, such as IT3(b) if applicable

· Travel logbook, if undertaking business travel on behalf of employer.

- SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - Government has commended the youth for participating in various outreach activities and dialogues during Youth Month.

The month of June is marked as Youth Month and this year it celebrated under the theme: “Youth Moving South Africa Forward”.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) on Wednesday said during the month, hundreds of young people embarked on a freedom walk from Freedom Park to Tshwane Events Centre to hand over their pledges to the country’s leadership.

Also, government embarked on approximately 100 activities across the country throughout June, including outreach events, career seminars, youth dialogues and exhibitions in which the youth participated.

Most of these activities focused on post-schooling opportunities, skills training and development, entrepreneurship in various sectors such as science and technology, agriculture, arts, engineering and firefighting.

Acting Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams encouraged the youth to continue playing an active role in building a non-sexist and non-racial country.

“We would like to thank the youth for coming out in numbers for participating in the Youth Month activities and acknowledge the role they are playing in achieving the vision of this country,” she said.

Government echoes the call by the President for young people to prioritise education and acquire skills to contribute to the success of the country.

“Government acknowledges that our economy is not growing at the faster pace that it should, and as a result job creation remains a challenge. We would like to thank companies that continue to create job opportunities for young people because government cannot do it alone.

“We reiterate the call made by President Zuma to the private sector to align their strategies with the youth employment accord and join hands with government to create employment opportunities such as internships and learnership programmes for young people,” said Williams.

During the month, Presidential Zuma visited the Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve campus under the Siyahlola monitoring programme where students and academics engaged in issues such as the living conditions of students at the residences and liquor outlets near campuses.

The President also launched the Presidential Youth Working Group.

The Eastern Cape Human Settlement Department launched the Youth Build Programme whereby 50 unemployed youths were placed to build 50 houses for vulnerable groups in Mdantsane.

“This programme is an annual ground breaking initiative that provides training and employment opportunities to unemployed youth in the building and construction industry,” the department said.

Gauteng Transport and Roads Department and the West Rand District Municipality also handed over 1500 bicycles to learners in Bekkersdal as part of the Shovakalula Bicycle Project.

“This is a national initiative by the Department of Transport that seeks to provide learners walking over 3km between home and school with a mode of transport. To date, 16 000 learners are beneficiaries of this project in Gauteng,” the department said.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) also partnered with the Mara Foundation to empower and inspire South Africa’s young talented entrepreneurs. The purpose of the collaboration is to enable young South Africans to be mentored by industry leaders via the new Mara Mentor App.

“Denel also launched the youth book aimed at educating and encouraging learners to pursue careers in the defence industry and technology that drives it.

“The book is targeted at learners between Grades 7 and 9, with the intention to open up the world of science, innovation and technology in the defence sector,” said the GCIS.

Government is determined to achieve the youth development goals as outlined in the National Youth Policy 2015-2020 which is anchored on the National Development Plan (NDP).

“The objectives of the policy are to create job opportunities, skills development, improve access to healthcare services and to education and eradicate substance abuse among the youths,” said GCIS. - SAnews.gov.za

South Africa has the policy space to prefer local manufacturers in the purchasing of goods and services from local companies, says Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel.

Speaking on Wednesday in Pretoria at a seminar on public procurement, the Minister said the reason for this was because the country did not sign up with the procurement protocols in the World Trade Organisation.

The objective of the seminar was to engage with the public sector and private sector on how to implement pro-competitive local procurement.

He said five years ago every minibus taxi in South Africa was imported but government tweaked its policy to allow for investment in the public transport system.

“Today we have two plants, a third one about to be launched that manufactures minibus taxis. Over the last couple of years, we have produced 31 000 minibus taxis locally and we are deepening the local component sector,” Minister Patel said.

Competition Commission of South Africa Commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele said the commission’s strategy for the next five years is driven by its vision to contribute to a growing and inclusive economy.

The vision of the commission is aligned to the National Development Plan, the New Growth Path and the Industrial Policy Action Plan.

“We need to accelerate the growth rate to create wealth that enhances the standard of living for all South Africans, dramatically increase employment creation, develop industrial capabilities to decrease the country’s dependence on commodity exports and transform the ownership and management profile of the economy to reflect the broader South African population,” he said.

Bonakele said South Africa as a medium sized economy needs to optimise the demand created by government and large enterprises.

“Strategic procurement is therefore a logical response aimed at supporting supplier development and localisation,” he said.

The Competition Commission of South Africa is empowered by the Competition Act to investigate, control and evaluate restrictive business practices, abuse of dominant positions and mergers in order to achieve equity and efficiency in the South African economy. Its purpose is to promote and maintain competition in South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Deputy Minister Andries Nel says he is inspired by the youth of South Africa who are building a better future each day.

Speaking on Tuesday at the conclusion of a month-long programme of visiting a number of Community Work Programme sites countrywide, the Deputy Minister said the youth of today are following in the footsteps of the youth of 1976, who tackled the challenges of their time head on.

“Through the CWP, the youth of our country are building a better future each day, not only for themselves, but also for their communities.

“Today’s challenges are unemployment, inequality and poverty. The youth of our country are tackling these through the CWP. Your work gives us confidence to say that, indeed, ‘Youth are Moving South Africa Forward’,” he said at the CWP site at Mogalakwena, in Limpopo.

The CWP was established by government to help deal with the challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality, and it gives special attention to women and young people.

It is part of many government programmes that help create work opportunities, skills and community development. Other similar programmes include the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC), Working for Water and Working on Fire.

The Deputy Minister said CWP supplements government’s social grants programme. He said it puts R1.4 billion into the pockets and onto the tables of more than 200 000 participants.

“Over the five years of this administration, the CWP will put R5.6 billion into the pockets of the poorest of the poor.”

He said this financial year, the department will establish sites in 30 more municipalities in the country, which will increase the number of existing CWP sites to 220.

“We want to create one million work opportunities by 2019. In the past financial year, 43 634 CWP participants benefitted from training opportunities offered by the programme. CWP has helped skill participants to start their own sustainable income-generating initiatives.

“In Limpopo, CWP is reaching about 22 086 participants across 20 sites. It is good to see that the CWP programmes are reaching 1 027 youth in 21 villages. I’m also glad that of these recipients, the majority are women, with 793 benefitting from these programmes. I am also happy to note that there are 13 disabled participants,” he said.

Social Cohesion Month

The Deputy Minister reminded the community that the month of July is Social Cohesion Month, in which South Africans honour the ideals of the Freedom Charter such as non-racialism, non-sexism, justice and equality. This year is the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter.

“Let us join hands as we continue to work toward building a South Africa that promotes human rights.

“Earlier this year we launched the National Youth Policy (NYP). This month [June] President Jacob Zuma established the Presidential Working Group on Youth. The working group consists of 17 deputy ministers, the National Youth Development Agency, business and youth organisations.

“Our task is to ensure that the NPY is implemented and that youth development becomes the focus of all South Africans, be they in government, the private sector or civil society,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has returned from his visit to Lesotho after being dispatched there by Chairperson of the SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, President Jacob Zuma.

His visit was an attempt to facilitate an end to a political situation in the mountain kingdom‚ which worsened following the killing of the former Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force‚ Lt. General Maaparankoe Mahao.

During his visit Deputy President Ramaphosa met with King Letsie III as well as interacted with Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili and his government coalition partners.

The Deputy President, who is also the SADC facilitator in Lesotho, met the Lesotho Christian Council, Lesotho Chamber of Commerce, College of Chiefs and the Lesotho Law Society.

“I came here to deliver a specific message to the Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, that SADC would like the Prime Minister to come to the [SADC] Troika Summit that is going to be held on Friday in Pretoria,” said Ramaphosa following his visit.

Deputy President Ramaphosa also visited the home of the late former Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force, where he met with the widow and other family members.

He conveyed the response of President Zuma to the requests of Prime Minister Mosisili for SADC to provide investigators to assist in the enquiry into the murder of Mahao.

In this regard, the SADC member states of Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide experts to assist in the investigation.

“South Africa will be sending pathologists, to do the examination and other countries in the region - Zimbabwe and Namibia - will be sending investigators to investigate the circumstances around Lieutenant General Mahao’s death,” said Deputy President Ramaphosa.

He said all stakeholders in the country have expressed their concern about the killing, something that has prompted SADC to hold a Double Troika Summit to discuss the way forward.

The Deputy President is expected to present his facilitation report on Lesotho‚ including reflections of the proposed constitutional and security sector reforms‚ to SADC.

“And I am sure that out of that discussion will come suggestions, proposals and solutions of how to take matters forward here in Lesotho.” – SAnews.gov.za

Johannesburg - Eighteen new schools which will cater for learners with special educational needs are to be built this financial year in the Gauteng province, says Gauteng Department of Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.

He was addressing educators from schools for learners with special educational needs on Wednesday in Johannesburg.

The educators are currently attending training as part of the 2015 Inclusion Focus Week. The training is aimed at building knowledge and skills of these educators, and also introducing new courses, such as managing challenging behaviour in the classroom and strategies on teaching English to non-English speakers.

MEC Lesufi said this will help address the issue of access to quality education for learners with special educational needs.

“I have been given a very difficult mandate to ensure that in 2016, we must have 18 new schools that must cater for the needs of learners with special needs.

“I get many calls from parents about their children being put on a waiting list for four years or so, and I want to immediately attack that, to ensure that the waiting list is reduced as soon as possible,” he said.

There are currently 102 schools in Gauteng which cater for learners with special educational needs.

MEC Lesufi said he had set a team from the department to identify institutions that are operating in the sector for inclusion, so that the department can give them support that they need.

He said the institutions might not have the capacity to appoint new teachers or construct new buildings.

“We have got the financial muscle to deal with this matter, we just have to strengthen the partnership element of it. If we can have strong partners, I am of the view that it will help us address the issue of access.

“We want to build a very strong diagnostic or identification programme so that we can identify our children at an early stage, and be able to provide guidance as to where they need to go to get support,” he said.

He said the sector was close to his heart and an area which he felt needed his immediate support.

About 4000 people, including educators and education professionals, have been attending the focus week workshop. It started on Monday and will end on Friday.

The MEC said the attendees have committed to dealing with the challenges facing the sector.

“I want to assure them of my support and I will ensure that the needs of this sector are taken care off. I don’t want the needs of this sector to be undermined,” he said.

The MEC said technology will help reduce some of the difficulties faced by the sector. “We have positioned ourselves where any new technology that enters the market, if affordable, we will bring it into our schools.”

The Director for Inclusion and Special Schools at the department, Hester Costa, envisaged that technology will also reduce the impact that disability has on learners.

Costa said capacity building will be done annually to support educators. The majority of educators in the sector are at NQF level 6 in the province. - SAnews.gov.za

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