加拿大中华商会发起安省退休金计划请愿

　　如果在阅读以下文章后，你同意我们的观点并愿意加入我们的活动，请：

　　1）将跟在中文后面的英文部分（只是英文部分）通过email发到ORPP@ontario.ca。

　　2）同时也发到你所住的选区省议员电子邮箱。所有省议员都可以通过这一网页查到：http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do?locale=en。

　　3）在英文段落的最后请留下你的姓名和联系方式。

　　4）在给上述两处发email后，请通知tocbcc@gmail.com，以确认你已采取行动，以便我们一起采取进一步行动。

　　谢谢！

　　应允许小生意自愿加入ORPP

　　安省退休金计划(下称ORPP)是安省以加强退休保障为名，强行雇主与雇员共同出资(各方贡献工资的1.9%)，为未来退休积蓄资金的计划。对于那些有自雇收入的人士来说，由于他们没有雇主还得贡献退休金雇主和雇员的两个部分。实际上，雇主和雇员现在共出的CPP退休金已达工资额的9.9%，EI就业金4.512%；如再加上安省退休金的3.8%(1.9%X2)，这些苛捐杂税就已接近工资额的2成。

　　考虑到ORPP对于小生意及低收入员工负面影响较大，加拿大中华商会倡议并向政府请愿：允许自雇人士及雇员人数在10人以下的小生意自由选择是否加入ORPP，而不是强行他们加入。理由如下：

　　第一，损害低收入家庭，维护富人利益

　　ORPP的出发点是担心低收入的劳动人民在有能力挣钱之年把钱花光了，等到将来退休之后没钱养老，所以现在就强制他们为养老积蓄，以减轻政府将来的财政负担。这对收入达到一定水平的家庭来说是合情合理的，但对于收入只够维持基本生活的家庭或个人来说，为了减轻将来纳税人的负担，现在就强行截留收入而给他们造成眼下的生活困难，就不符合情理了。

　　如果这些低收入人士将来的确没钱养老，为他们提供养老保障本来就应该是社会的责任，为穷人提供救济本身就是税收的社会再分配的功能。所以说这一政策本质上是为了维护高收入人士及富人利益。

　　这种强行截留收入的做法，对那些低收入的自雇人士来说更是不合理了，因为他们没有雇主还得贡献退休金雇主和雇员的两个部分。

　　第二， 限制老百姓理财的自由

　　小生意业主和雇员手上可支配的资金本身是有限的。在9.9%的CPP， 4.5%的EI的基础上，再加上3.8%，将会进一步限制他们自己理财的自由，包括计划养老的自由。其实现在储蓄只是计划养老方式的一种，对于广大百姓来说，让他们留下更多的收入供自己支配，通过自己买房供房，抚养子女，投入生意等都是更好的养老方式。

　　第三， 限制创业自由

　　许多新移民来加拿大选择做生意是因为找不到工作，可投入的资金相当有限。增加雇用成本只会起到减少对生意的投入，限制小生意增长的作用。

　　其实对于那些不仅能解决自己生存，而且还能为他人创造几个就业机会的企业家来说，政府应采取多种手段加以扶植与支持，而不是巧立名目地向他们转嫁经济负担。

　　第四，减少政府税收财源

　　ORPP要求小生意/自雇人士在9.9%的CPP基础上再贡献生意收入的3.8%。这样增加如实申报收入的代价，会迫使更多的纳税人走入地下。举一个年收入有五万的自雇人士的例子，为了少交9.9%的CPP和3.8%的安省退休金，如果少报一万收入，政府就会少得$1,300的HST和$2,500的所得税（假定联邦加安省税率为25%）。所以，通过设立ORPP增加政府收入是得不偿失，因小失大。

　　第五， 惩罚勤劳，鼓励懒惰

　　在薪金阶层和自雇人士中有许多低收入人士。假设两个低收入家庭相比，一个是靠自己辛勤劳动挣自雇收入过日子，还要贡献CPP和ORPP；而另一个家庭是靠拿政府救济或福利生存，而可以不用贡献任何计划。这向社会发出的是一个错误的信号。

　　Petition for Small Business to Opt out of ORPP

　　I believe that the proposed ORPP would negatively affect small businesses and low-income families and I support the Chinese Business Chamber of Canada's proposal to make the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan optional for self-employment income earners and small businesses with 10 employees or under, for the following 5 reasons.

　　First, hurting low-income families

　　The starting point of the ORPP is the concern that low-income earners may spend all their money in the years when can work and would have no savings to support them in their retirement. So the Plan intends to force them to save now in order to reduce the financial burden of the society in the future. This is fair to those who are earning enough for them to save but choose not to save.

　　However, to those whose earnings are barely enough to support their basic living, it is unfair to make their life more difficult now by reducing their net pays, in order to save taxpayer’s money in the future. If these people indeed have no money for retirement and need financial assistance in the future, to provide such assistance should be a responsibility of the society in the first place. The redistribution of social wealth is one of the functions of taxation.

　　Second, restricting people’s freedom in managing their own financial affairs

　　Many of the small business owners and their employees have very limited financial resources. The imposed ORPP contribution would further restrict their freedom in managing their own financial affairs, including the freedom in planning their retirement. Saving money now is only one of many ways to plan for future retirement; for many families the better ways are to spend money on paying off their mortgage, raising kids, and investing in their businesses and so on.

　　Third, restricting freedom of enterprise

　　Many immigrants start their own businesses because they can not find jobs after coming to Canada and have very limited financial resources. To increase employment cost for these small business owners would have the effect of reducing funds available to invest in their business and limiting their potential growth.

　　It is our belief that the government should provide support for these small businesses which create a few jobs, instead of transferring financial burden onto them.

　　Fourth, reducing tax revenue

　　The proposed ORPP requires self-employed entrepreneurs to contribute 3.8% of their reported net business income, on the top of 9.9% CPP. The increased cost of reporting self-employment income would drive more small businesses under ground. Take a taxpayer with $50k net self-employment income as an example, assuming that in order to save 9.9% of CPP and 3.8% ORPP contributions, the self-employed taxpayer underreports $10k gross business income, and the result would be that the government would lose tax revenues in HST of $1,300 and income taxes of $2,500 (assuming combined Federal and provincial rate of 25%).

　　Fifth, punishing hard-working families

　　There are many low-income earners among the self-employed and wage workers. Assuming two low-income families in comparison, one family relies on earned income and has to contribute CPP and ORPP while the other family live entirely on social benefits and/or government assistance but need not contribute to any plans. That would send a wrong message to the public