“To be or not to be an elite.” “You crazy! We aren’t Sufis!” “That’s some reference! Sufism requires a way of life that few can afford today, and…”

“No one but the elites can afford it, hunh! And do you know of any elite who is into Sufism?”

“Define elite?”

“An individual who is given official protocol…”

“Hamm in this country there is a difference between a moneyed individual and one who gets protocol.”

“Stop right there – if the one receiving protocol is not moneyed, then that is overcome pretty darn quick.”

“Don’t you listen to cabinet members! Corruption is dead and buried.”

“Yeah, yeah anyway when I asked you to define elite I wanted you to give me names. I mean, they are all very religious but…”

“But perhaps not quite as much as when they make financial decisions relating to their family!”

“Agreed, and I reckon the part of our brain that takes decisions relating to one’s own and family’s finances is distinct from the part that takes decisions as a member of government.”

“Hmmmm and by extension I believe the part of the brain that takes decisions with respect to the mechanism to be used to remit money to one’s loved ones which needless to add is based on the cheapest and safest way to remit money to one’s family, is quite distinct from his or her political leanings.”

“It’s the same with giving charity, isn’t it! The part of our brain that decides to give to charity and specifically which charity is different from the part which decides on engaging in tax evasion or avoidance…”

“Ah, but here in the Land of the Pure, a scheme launched by a prime minister is supported by the government entities and some large private entities in return for policy decisions….”

“Right and that brings me back to what I said, to be or not to be an elite is the question – one is an elite if one is a rich landlord but when it comes to paying income tax given that these landlords are in a majority in the national and provincial assemblies the tax on their income is much lower than what is deducted at source from the salary of state officials who work under them…”

“Ah indeed and did you know that these state officials constitute 7 percent of our total workforce, are paid at the taxpayers’ expense and, unlike the 93 percent working in the private sector, receive a hefty income raise every year.”

“By the elites running the government.”

“Ringo.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024