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Chirac proposes international
French President Jacques Chirac called for an "experimental" international tax to help fund the war against AIDS, suggesting it could be raised via a levy on airline tickets, some fuels or financial transactions.After all its only the camel's nose we are letting into the tent..... In a speech via video link to political and business leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos, he said at least 10 billion dollars (7.7 billion euros) a year was needed -- up from six billion annually now -- to stem the spread of the disease. They are having their meeting in a exclusive swiss RESORT while asking for more money? Does anyone else see anything fishy here? Chirac, prevented from flying to the World Economic Forum here through poor weather, said that despite huge efforts so far, "we are failing in the face of this terrible pandemic." I mean how can we afford to have more forums at exclusive resorts if we dont have a tax? He suggested options including: a "contribution" on international financial transactions, a tax on aviation and maritime fuel, a tax on capital movements in or out of countries which practised banking secrecy, or a "small levy" such as a dollar on the three billion airline tickets sold every year. "What is striking about these examples," Chirac said, "is the disproportion between the modest efforts required and the benefits everyone would reap from them." The president said developed countries should also create tax incentives to stimulate private donations to charity. Chirac acknowledged that his proposal would be widely debated, an allusion to US opposition to any international tax, and said there was "no question" of treading on each country's right to set its own levies. "But there is nothing to prevent states from cooperating and coming to an understanding on new resources and their allocation to a common cause," Chirac added. He said a tax on international financial transactions would be implemented sparingly and at a very low rate and would not be an obstacle to normal market operations. It could raise 10 billion dollars a year, he went on. After all its only the Nose, not the whole camel.... A levy on capital movements would partially compensate for the consequences of tax evasion which damaged the poorest countries, and would be allocated to development. The fuel tax would apply to air and sea transport and effectively end the current exemption regime. Any bets the UN would be exempt from this tax? Meanwhile, a small levy on plane tickets would not compromise the economic balance of the aviation sector, the president said. Two years ago Chirac also raised the possibility of an international tax to help the fight against AIDS, but gave few details, while he has several times extolled the idea to help combat the negative effects of globalisation Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-01-26 |
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