17 May 2016

Solomons MPs could keep tax free salaries

8:27 pm on 17 May 2016

Solomon Island MPs may yet keep their tax free salaries if an appeal against a court ruling declaring them illegal is successful.

The Solomon Islands Parliamentary Entitlement Commission has filed the appeal which will most likely be heard at the next sitting of the appeal court in October.

One of the claimants of the original case, the executive officer for Transparency Solomon Islands, Ruth Liloqula, says her group will fight to uphold the court ruling which was supposed to have taken effect this Thursday, the end of a 30-day appeal period.

However given this latest developement the National Parliament is seeking clarification from the office of the Attorney General on whether MPs will continue to be paid tax-free salaries pending the outcome of the appeal, or whether a seperate stay order would be required to allow them to do so.

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Photo: RNZI Koroi Hawkins