The increase in withholding tax on rental income from five per cent to 15 per cent in the recent budget is disproportionate and unjustified. It will hit the property owners hard, especially retirees and widows who depend on renting out their property for earning a decent living. The only thing that the tax measure will do is encourage people to hide their assets. I appeal to the government to either withdraw the proposed increase or revise it down to an acceptable level.