Oxfam forced to pay taxes for tsunami aid - sick?

admin

Retired Administrator
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4103054.stm

Apparently Sri Lanka is taxing Oxfam (charity) for the vehicles it sent to the country in the tsuanami crisis, and its not just a little bit of tax its over $1m! I think this is quite sick, considering the amount of help Oxfam has done to help the countries tsunami victims and those effected areas..

Anyone else got an opinion?
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
From the information you've provided, I would agree, but I don't know anything about the situation, so my opinion doesn't count for much.
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
Sadly, I can believe that. I'm in no way a fan of George W Bush but something he said in response to the G8 thingy was that there are a lot of corrupt governments in the world who will do that - the leaders will live in a palace full of treasure while their people will be starving on the streets. This is why aid organisations such as Oxfam and the Red Cross must deliver aid directly to the people rather than simply sending it to the respective government to distribute.

I think it's disgraceful behaviour.
 

NeCoHo

Retired Mod
Jimmy Junior said:
there are a lot of corrupt governments in the world who will do that - the leaders will live in a palace full of treasure while their people will be starving on the streets.
That is also some reasoning in that for the whole Iraq "conflict". "to free the Iraqis" yeah, they say it might take another 12 years. Might have a draft, you'll all see Sam and I being drafted, might go through boot camp togeather, do what Reese did.:D

But this thread has nothing to do with politics (of this kind) and therefore I shall stop this rant before I can't answer for it properly anymore.

It does seem unfair and strange with the taxing. But I'm in the same boat as Sam and Emrysgirl about it.
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
What I meant was that these governments are effectively taking food out of the mouths of their own people - the people have been hit by a major disaster, yet the Sri Lankan government are making it difficult for anyone to help them!
 

NeCoHo

Retired Mod
major disaster. Oh. yeah. I see what you mean. another great example: Oil for Food Scandal. Either way, it's still unfair.
 
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