Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Moderate Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tsigprofit who wrote (17732)	6/16/2005 10:55:42 PM
From: TigerPaw	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 20773

this happened under Bush What was that national security memo that Bush disregarded in Aug 2001 because he was so focused on stem cells? I think it was labeled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike U.S.". Remember that? cnn.com

To: tsigprofit who wrote (17732)	6/17/2005 12:32:09 PM
From: Bucky Katt	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 20773

From the way-out there file> Sri Lanka taxes tsunami aid!!! Biting the had that feeds you, and I sent in $10k.... British charity Oxfam has had to pay the Sri Lankan government $1m in import duty for vehicles used in tsunami reconstruction work. Paperwork had kept the 25 four-wheel drive vehicles idle in the capital, Colombo, for a month. The Sri Lankan government told the BBC News website the aid had been duty-free until the end of April but was now needed to prevent "market distortions". Nearly 31,000 people died in Sri Lanka when the tsunami struck on 26 December. Half a million were made homeless. Bad roads Oxfam told BBC News the 25 Indian-made Mahindra vehicles were essential in ensuring it could reach the poorest communities over rough terrain and bad roads. Sri Lanka does not manufacture any automobiles so it was not possible to buy them locally. A spokesman said: "Clearly Oxfam would have preferred not to pay this tax on the vehicles and we did everything we could to have the tax waived. "However the government has turned down our request and the laws of the country dictate that we must now pay the normal import tax." The spokesman said the incident would not affect the way Oxfam worked in Sri Lanka. Britain's Daily Telegraph said Sri Lankan customs had charged $5,000 a day while the vehicles were processed. Oxfam was given the choice of handing over the vehicles to the government, re-exporting them or paying the 300% import tax. 'Case-by-case' Sri Lankan presidential spokesman, Harim Peiris, told the BBC that he could not comment on the individual case of Oxfam, but said that duties had been waived for the first four months after the tsunami. Mr Peiris, who has a senior role in the government's tsunami relief effort, said that for the "medium-term reconstruction period" the finance ministry had decided the duty system had to be reintroduced. He said this was in order to promote local procurement and prevent market distortions. The Oxfam spokesman said the Indian vehicles were chosen because "Sri Lanka does not manufacture any automobiles so it was not possible to buy them locally". Mr Peiris said duty waivers were still considered on a case-by-case basis, but that Oxfam had on this issue received an "unfavourable decision". He said the delay was probably caused by "an evaluation and appeal process that takes time". Some aid workers have expressed anger that reconstruction is being slowed by red tape and inefficiency. But Mr Peiris said the government believed the relief and reconstruction programme was proceeding to "acceptable international standards". Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk