Structural reforms needed to stop agri smuggling
One may give the Aquino administration passing marks for keeping the economy grinding at its enviable six percent rate for the last six years. Or for bringing jobs to our unemployed by nurturing the business process outsourcing industry. Or pursuing its 4P commitment by reaching out to the poorest sectors of society, or restructuring the educational system by retraining teachers, building more classrooms and aligning to global K-12 standards.
Well, there’s a relatively good long list of accomplishment that really deserves a sincere pat on the back.
On the other hand, there’s a relatively lengthy list also of things that had not been done, starting from Day 1 of the current dispensation. And some of this would have mattered significantly to boosting further the nation’s and its people’s well-being.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/05/03/1579129/structural-reforms-needed-stop-agri-smuggling
Lear MoreGoing up in smoke: Terrorist financing and contraband cigarettes
In 2000, the United States authorities caught two Lebanese brothers for running a multimillion-dollar smuggling operation, moving low-tax cigarettes from North Carolina to high-tax Michigan.
It was a major coup for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But the bureau was shocked when it realised where the profits of the syndicate were diverted to: designated terrorist organisation Hizbollah.
The bureau quickly stepped up its focus on the ties between cigarette smuggling and terrorism.
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/going-up-in-smoke-terrorist-financing-and-contraband-cigarettes
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Man admits sale of counterfeit Garmin products
An Arkansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to selling hundreds of counterfeit Garmin map cards online.
William Yates, 26, of Fort Smith, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., to a charge of copyright infringement.
According to federal prosecutors, Yates sold more than 870 counterfeit map products for more than $23,000. He sold the items on sites such as eBay, Amazon and Craigslist.
The sales took place between June 2012 and last August, according to federal court documents.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article75341442.html
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Smuggling, gas, FX threaten survival of Lucky Fibres
US-based funds aiding cigarette smuggling in India, says ITC chairman
The chairman of the largest cigarette maker in India, ITC Ltd., has alleged that U.S.-based organisations are aiding the anti-tobacco lobby in India and indirectly promoting tobacco/ cigarette smuggling in the country.
Various health advocacy groups and activists in India are currently spearheading the anti-tobacco campaign, calling for stringent anti-tobacco laws. The government has directed all the tobacco/ cigarette manufacturing companies to increase the size of health warnings on tobacco/cigarette packs to 85 percent, which has led to a few tobacco companies moving the Supreme Court against the order.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/us-based-funds-aiding-cigarette-smuggling-india-says-itc-chairman-676874
Lear MoreTrailer holding 9 million smuggled cigarettes seized at Immingham Docks
A trailer containing almost nine million smuggled cigarettes has been discovered by Border Force officers at Immingham Docks.
The discovery was made on Thursday evening when officers searched an unaccompanied trailer that had arrived on a ferry from Vlaardingen, in The Netherlands.
Officers discovered 8,960,000 cigarettes concealed inside 20 wooden pallets which were labelled as wooden flooring.
Mark Robinson, Border Force Assistant Director for the Humber ports, said that, had the smuggling attempt proved successful, it could have cost the Treasury around £2.5 million in unpaid duty and VAT.
Australian Border Force smashes tobacco smuggling ring
http://newsroom.border.gov.au/releases/australian-border-force-smashes-tobacco-smuggling-ring
Haiti – Economy : Haiti, paradise of smuggling
Because of the incompetence of the Government of Haiti to collect its taxes and customs duties on products coming from the neighboring Republic and corruption at the land border, smuggling between the two countries is growing, enriching some businessmen Dominicans and Haitians in the margins of the law. Note that according to figures from the Haitian customs, taxes and duties levied on imports by land totaled only 4.5% of their value, while those levied on the other customs posts (sea and air) are on average 25% of the value of the corresponding imports.
Georges B. Sassine, President of the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) urges the Haitian government to regain control of its border and to provide adequate customs infrastructure and modern at four crossing points officially recognized for trade between the two countries and to the control of goods passing through.
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17296-haiti-economy-haiti-paradise-of-smuggling.html
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Shisha tobacco smuggler gets suspended sentence
A refugee caught smuggling 16 kilos of shisha tobacco from Italy was today given a six-month suspended sentence and fined €1,655.
SaediyaEdris, 26, was yesterday detained by customs official at Malta International Airport after arriving from Fiumicino in Rome.
Though the substance is not illegal, the Ethiopian-born woman who enjoys subsidiary protection by the Italian government, did not declare the 64-pack consignment, and passed through the nothing to declare exit.
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Tanzania: Local Firm Wants Action to Curb Imports of Fake Electricity Appliances
The government can tame fake and substandard power and automation appliances by putting quality standard to be followed by local manufacturers and importers.
This was said in Dar es Salaam by the ABB Limited, Managing Director Mr Michael Olonya after opening the new office and workshop located along Nyerere Road that offer extensive array of product and services within power and automation technologies.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201604280257.html
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