Mock Press Conference at the IMF Staged

Members of the Mobilization for Global Justice staged a mock press conference Thursday, a day prior to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring meetings. On the eve of the US annual tax filing deadline of April 16, MGJ called attention to regressive tax policies pushed by the IMF on borrowing countries, which systematically transfer the tax burden from the wealthy to the poor.



Examples of regressive IMF tax policy around the world include:




The IMF is pressuring the government of Zambia to remove the exemptions from Value Added Tax for mosquito nets (essential for public health in this malaria-affected country), food, water, and sewage service.;




In Pakistan, the IMF used a military government to impose the General Sales Tax (GST), a national sales tax on most consumer items. At the same time, they pressured the government to eliminate the Wealth Tax;




The IMF forced the Dominican Republic to raise the Value Added Tax on essential goods -- in the words of Finance Minister Vicente Bengoa, "at gun point".

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• IMF
• MGJ
• Protest
• Washington
• DC
• Press
• Conference
• World
• Bank

[yahoovisitor]

That the irony or irony of fate whatever you may call it. Western lobby finds itself nowhere if it is not successful in blackmailing the black sheep in our community.

[tigerone1970]

" Loans are granted to Pakistan but are not monitored/audited to see the completion of the project they are sanctioned for.  "

Pakistan too? I thought it was just Zambia - I guess it is just part of the scam.

They buy off the ruling elites with 'donor aid', and keep western corporations keep the raw materials flowing out of the country - untaxed, and with no profits shared.

[yahoovisitor]

Loans are granted to Pakistan but are not monitored/audited to see the completion of the project they are sanctioned for. Pakistani ruling class & govt departments gradually eat up the entire loan. Are these loans granted to promote hypocrisy, gradually leading to fake inflation, injustice & poverty? The end result nowadays is reaction in the form of suicide bombing & destruction due to the problems mentioned. Kalabagh Dam & many projects are just a dream due to this attitude of IMF & World Bank

[music7564]

Thank you. Your demonstration shows how obnoxious IMF policies are, to all people in every corner of the political spectrum. In your next skit you could take a jab at the Declaration of INTERdependence, and the ways in which the IMF, World Bank and globalization policies are using the left. Don't forget that they're thirsting to transform us all into carbon criminals as well. It's a very big umbrella, and there are many colors in the rainbow.