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Africa: Subsaharan |
Zim-Bob-we to stamp out last vestiges of prosperity |
2005-08-22 |
Zimbabwe's finance minister has imposed a string of tax rises to bridge a huge spending shortfall and the effects of drought and slum clearances. First, they bulldoze your house, then raise your taxes to pay for it. Can New London top that? A tax on drinks and cigarettes has been increased by 50% and mobile phone airtime will also be subjected to a 22.5% tax, Herbert Murerwa said. Zimbabwe is beset with shortages of That's about $0.13 in real money. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said the tax hikes would bring more suffering to Zimbabweans. Our own Democrats don't believe that, so why should Maximum Bob? "What the minister has done is to tell us straight in the face that the government is broke and they are prepared to drive the economy to a fatal crash," the MDC's Tapiwa Mashakada told parliament, AFP reports. Some of the money will help with food imports to It was only 682,375. Government critics blame Zimbabwe's economic problems on the seizure of white-owned land over the past five years. The government blames food shortages on drought and economic sabotage by Western countries, led by the UK, opposed to land reform. Not the Joooooos? |
Posted by:Jackal |
#5 Why does this remind me of the post-war germany stories of trying to buy a loaf of bread with a wheelbarrow of marks. Then coming out of the store to find that the wheelbarrow has been stolen and the marks dumped on the ground. |
Posted by: Redneck Jim 2005-08-22 15:42 |
#4 Yo Bob this ain't be no way to be treatin a war veteran such as myself. But shit I ain't got no money anyways... |
Posted by: Farmin B. Hard 2005-08-22 13:24 |
#3 Bob and the cronies get one last squeeze from the turnips before they all head off to retirement in more pleasant climes. |
Posted by: Phavimp Wholuter5178 2005-08-22 11:39 |
#2 I suspect Bob's cronies will be the ones who will benefit. Isn't that the plan? We've starved our population now send us your money |
Posted by: 2b 2005-08-22 03:08 |
#1 According to a letter from the MDC's economic advisor, the increase in tax rates was accompanied by widening the list of items that could be freely bought and traded to include wheat and maize. Basically that's going to increase demand for foreign exchange on the black market and drive up the costs for everything else. I suspect Bob's cronies will be the ones who will benefit. |
Posted by: Pappy 2005-08-22 01:21 |