President Professor Garth Stevens, speaking live at the Portfolio Committee for Health regarding the National Health Insurance Bill on behalf of the Psychological Society of South Africa.
On 31 May 2021, PsySSA submitted an official response to the proposed amendments, from the SARS Disability Team, on the Section 6B of the Income Tax Act, 1962. In summary, the amendments sought to amend the rules governing the tax relief associated with the payment of special needs school fees. The amendments sought to differentiate between education and intervention in regards to special needs schooling, whereby interventions qualify for tax exemption, but schooling would not. According to the proposed amendments: “School fees are not in consequence of a disability, but in consequence of education. For this reason, school fees will not qualify as a medical expense under this List.” PsySSA was approached by Autism South Africa to support through providing our own independent position to the draft proposals released by SARS 24th May 2021.
In summary, PsySSA commended SARS for ensuring financial support for vulnerable populations through tax relief and ensuring that all children have the right to access basic education. However, there are concerns that the process of how this differentiation has been proposed would place the burden of accountability on the shoulders of parents. Special Needs Schools without the necessary administrative support to record the differentiations would result in their pupils and their families not benefiting from the necessary tax relief vital for their education. It is ill conceived to separate the learning programme from the supportive intervention programme which takes place in the educational setting for a child with disabilities. We recommended that further discussion is needed between stakeholders to determine the best way forward.
On the 02 June 2021, SARS announced that it would be retracting these draft proposals “in order to permit more time to engage with stakeholders, explain the intent behind the changes and understand the concerns raised”. We would like to thank both divisions of SEPSA and PiPS for their assistance and expertise in driving this matter forward. This is further evidence of our progress in being actively involved with Public Psychology and being at the foreground of these discussions. We ensure this in order to mobilise Psychology in the interests of multiple publics, particularly those who are marginalised, and to respond to the critical social issues that impact the psychological health and wellbeing of our communities.
Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a global covenant that is over 72 years old, human rights in South Africa (SA) was only institutionalised with the advent of democracy 27 years ago. On 29 October 1998, Archbishop Desmond Tutu handed the Report of the TRC, which he chaired, to President Nelson Mandela. The TRC held that abundant evidence exists that the due care of patients in SA, particularly of the most vulnerable, was found wanting. Subsequent events have demonstrated that our health and human resources sectors, which psychology forms a critical part of, have been sliding into profound crisis, exacerbated by prevailing socioeconomic and political factors.
This series of three webinars will trace human rights from antiquity, indicate the relevance in underpinning the nascent culture of human rights and its inextricable nexus with our ethical codes across all categories and areas of psychological involvement. In so doing, the case will be made for us – as scarce and priority interveners in a fractured society – to be constantly vigilant in our assessment, diagnosis and treatment recommendations, especially of the worst off amongst us, as a necessary adjunct to appropriate and independent professional judgment and conduct. Thus will we restore hope that there is an indispensable discipline which can provide a moral compass in murky and choppy seas.
Dear PsySSA Members
This serves as a HPCSA Annual Fee Reminder. Notice is hereby given that the Annual Fees are payable by persons registered in terms of the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974) before 1 April each year.
Section 19(1)(d) states that the Professional Board or a Committee to whom the function has been delegated may direct the Registrar to, or the Registrar acting on the established policies of the Professional Board may, remove from the register the name of any person who has failed to pay to the Professional Board, within three months as from the date on which it became due for payment. The HPCSA had granted extension on the payment until 30 September 2020 which was due by the end of March 2020.
Fees are as follows according to the Government Gazette published on 17/02/2020:
Individuals may make payment online or via EFT.
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