Sorry everyone. I was wrong. I was thinking that the whole thing about the UK Minister was about getting some moolah to grease the economic wheels and help the poor nations get going. Alas, it is not.
It is just a cunning European plot to use air-travellers money to get rich. Read this. <At yesterday's G7 summit in London, chaired by the Chancellor, the Treasury agreed to consider proposals from the French and German governments for a new tax on aircraft fuel as a way of helping Africa to meet the Millennium Development Goals of cutting poverty, reducing infant mortality and getting more children into school.
Brown has proposed an 'international finance facility,' which he says would raise an extra $50 billion (£26bn) for developing countries through the issue of bonds, to be paid for through future aid budgets; but France and Germany would prefer to levy a new tax, on aircraft fuel - the so-called Landau proposals.
Environmental campaigners also favour an airline fuel tax, which could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by pushing up the price of air travel.
Environmentalists, however, last night welcomed the development. Stephen Joseph, director of campaign group Transport 2000, said: 'We have been saying for years that aviation is under-taxed compared to other forms of transport.
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observer.guardian.co.uk
The Europeans, in name of alleviating poverty, tax air travellers pocket the money, send some boxes of vaccines to hospitals in Africa, most probably army stockpiles approaching expiration dates.
Now you can see how environmentlaism can damage the world in the hands of the politicians.
Europeans keep thinking they are virtue. Poor countries keep, well, poor, and the world will keep moving as always did. Beware of Europeans bringing gifts.
Guess we the Hindus and Chinese have to do the job of getitng rid of poverty.! |
