John N. Faraclas
The G8 2013 summit, by John Faraclas
Now then, what do you make, sea-wise, shipping-wise, or whatever you like to call it from the latest G8 summit in Lough Erne up in Northern Ireland? Good news for cracking down the dearest ransoms paid to release crew-members and ships in the piracy saga? And what about the three T’s? And what about the “coincidental” trial and penalisation of D&G?
2013 UK G8 Summit Anticipated focus*:
Not a pledging summit, development related agenda items (first 3 are the UK’s priorities):
- Trade liberalization, addressing trade barriers, supporting WTO Ministerial meeting in 12/13.
- Tax Reform: avoidance and abuse, information exchange, strengthening international tax standards, tax havens, improve tax information exchange, and work with developing countries to improve tax collection.
- “Transparency of company and land ownership, accountability, and open government” around aid to poor countries, e.g.: extractive industries.
- “Golden thread” of development: rule of law, absence of conflict and corruption, property rights and strong institutions.
- G8 Accountability report
- Sexual violence in conflict areas
- Food security / nutrition / hunger (Separate event, no pledging).
The leaders agreed to stamp out ransom payment to kidnappers for the release of hostages. Over the last three years – not to mention over the last ten, millions of dollars in ransom money have been paid and shipping was the biggest victim. ITF seafarers’ section chair Dave Heindel has echoed the Global Unions’** call to the G8 meeting to put fairness at the heart of their economies and added a plea for the same principles to be applied to the maritime world. Taxation and Transparency, are, as always ITF’s demands! The FOC issue again was on top of ITF’s agenda… We sympathise ITF’s demands up to a point on this issue, as well as on the Tax Havens.-.
So what’s gone to happen with trade? I am not happy at all as trade entails also building of ships and obviously none, repeat none of the G8 leaders knows what or where is the fore or aft of a ship, to enter in such discussions… Somebody must talk to them about overcapacity? Yes, overcapacity’s results to all intents and purposes! Or the Chinese factor in shipbuilding or in manufacturing… what’s up Uncle Sam?
All things being equal, we in the shipping industry must prepare next time round the agenda for the next G8 summit in Moscow, opppssssss Moscow! Hmmmmm! The Taxation anathema must be cleared once and for all and you cannot remain speechless with what’s happening vis-à-vis the shell companies and all that jazz. So who did all these years the cover up? And why it’s not transparent to run offshore companies in Tax havens? I guess that this despicable taxation is the envy of politicians versus the ethical riches; now if amongst these rich people are crooks, I can assure you that today’s society has the means, but not the will or courage as yet to get rid of them; you dead well know what I mean!
Again, given the above on taxation, and with respect the property issue: ins’t an oxymoron the Mega Mansion Mania, say in the UK? Please do tell me how one can be included in the rich lists, eligible for the mega mansion mania, when taxation looms at the background…
I am sure you must have read quite a lot over the last three days on this last G8 meeting which was overshadowed by the Syrian Conflict and it remains to be seen how inhumane the G8 leaders will continue to be on this issue. OK, Syria is not Iraq – with the West’s “intentional” failure, in my view – on whether there existed weapons of mass destruction, and conversely there is use of lethal gas or other substances in Syria. It’s a bit too much, isn’t? What do we expect? What if a cell attacks our society again; they did it and it was obviously grossly unfair and excessive! Who’s responsible on this though? How the G8 leaders took and or digested the recent Bilderberg meeting? Let’s speak openly on this last Bilderberg issue, if we believe in Transparency! No mickey mousing. The issue of Europe was well addressed by the host, David Cameron. Let’s see if finally a referendum takes place in the UK and its ultimate result…This summit took place at a time when Europe is technically bankrupt and this is a very dodgy development! As these lines are written, Brazil goes through a tough time and Turkey remains a big question…
Many of my friends criticed the dress-down code of the summit; discipline, discipline, discipline! I wonder how Mrs Merkel will ignore the fact that she was with seven dwarfs… or isn’t so…?
* References on the agenda from the BBC
**please read respective news at: https://allaboutshipping.co.uk/2013/06/19/itf-seafarers-chair-time-to-put-fairness-at-heart-of-maritime-world/
