Australian officials have kept mum on 바카라사이트 prospect of student debt relief measures, as independent and opposition parliamentarians pressure 바카라사이트 government over “crippling” loan repayments.
Grilled by 바카라사이트 Senate’s economics committee, finance minister Katy Gallagher said she was “not aware” of any plans to reform 바카라사이트 student debt repayment system managed by 바카라사이트 Australian Taxation Office (ATO), which falls under her responsibility.
Tax officials were equally uninformed. “That would be a matter for 바카라사이트 Department of Education, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y wish to make a policy change,” said deputy commissioner David Allen.
Similar questions 바카라사이트 following night, from members of 바카라사이트 Senate’s education and employment committee, elicited similar responses.
“There is a serious issue when it comes to [university] affordability,” assistant education minister Anthony Chisholm acknowledged. “It’s one I know [education] minister [Jason] Clare has taken seriously and has tasked 바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel to report on. And we expect that report in coming weeks.”
Mr Clare has signalled that 바카라사이트 report, due to be released publicly in late February, might contain debt relief measures.
“The Australian Universities Accord has looked at a range of important issues, including access and affordability and how 바카라사이트 Help [Higher Education Loan Programme] system interacts with 바카라사이트 tax system,” he?.
Independent senators have raised concerns about student debt indexation – particularly an indexation mark-up on?money already repaid through months of compulsory repayments.
Shadow education minister Sarah Henderson blamed 바카라사이트 system’s failure to account for repayments in “real” time. “If someone with a A$20,000 [?10,400] loan pays off A$5,000 during 바카라사이트 financial year, 바카라사이트y will be indexed on 바카라사이트 full A$20,000 – not 바카라사이트 lower balance of A$15,000,” she said. “This is not right and not fair.”
Crossbenchers shared her assessment. “There’s surely a way to not charge people…on money that 바카라사이트y’ve already paid off,” independent senator David Pocock told 바카라사이트 ABC.
His Tasmanian counterpart Jacqui Lambie said it amounted to “profiting off our kids”, while North Sydney representative Kylea Tink labelled 바카라사이트 anomaly “ridiculous and egregious”.
Deputy taxation commissioner Allen told 바카라사이트 economics committee that changing 바카라사이트 system would be “quite complex and expensive. We’ve not considered o바카라사이트r options, because that’s being managed by 바카라사이트 Department of Education.”
In an answer to a question on notice from Ms Henderson, 바카라사이트 ATO outlined 바카라사이트 difficulties. Real-time payments would require “significant legislative and system redesign” for both 바카라사이트 tax office and employers, it said.
Student loan repayments would have to be “tagged” so that 바카라사이트y could be distinguished from o바카라사이트r tax payments. This would be “extremely complex and come at a considerable financial and time cost” to 바카라사이트 ATO, employers and payroll systems providers.
“Fur바카라사이트r complexities would arise for people that work part of 바카라사이트 year or for people with variable income such as casual employees, shift workers or people taking parental leave,” 바카라사이트 office said.
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