As Inzko Cites Failures in Bosnia & Republika Srpska, Of Tobacco Tax & IMF Freeze

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 15 -- Amid counter charges in the UN Security Council on May 15 about who's to blame for problems in Bosnia, it's worth nothing that the country's International Monetary Fund program got frozen as well. On May 8 Inner City Press asked IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice:

Inner City Press: What steps would the IMF require to unfreeze the next tranche of its standby program? Does the IMF have any comment on the Federation's May 6th auction of six month Treasury Bills?

IMF Spokesperson Rice: "The fifth review under Bosnia's and Herzegovina's standby arrangement was completed in January 2014. For the next review, the sixth review, while the authorities implemented measures that had been agreed to improve revenue collection and budget processes, the decision by the Parliament to delay consideration of legislation, to harmonize excises on different tobacco products precluded the completion of the review, and the disbursement of the next tranche.

"Since this has delayed the completion of the sixth review, a staff team will go back to Bosnia and Herzegovina later this month for discussions on what will now be the combined sixth and seventh reviews. Then, just to answer the question, in order for us to be able to take the combined reviews forward, full implementation of the prior actions for the sixth review would be needed, notably again, the harmonization of those excises on different tobacco products, and a comprehensive sharing of tax payer information between the four tax agencies to help improve compliance."

   On May 15 amid all of  High Representative for BiH Valentin Inzko's criticism in the Security Council, about calls for secession in Republika Srpska, he did not mention this failure too. There was a call to “draw down” his apparatus. It ends with a whimper, not a bang. 

  The IMF's spokesperson Rice's answer was long, so we uploaded the video here, filmed from the IMF webcast while at the UN Security Council stakeout:

Inner City Press also asked Gerry Rice and the IMF:

  In Pakistan, PTI Information Secretary KPK and MNA Ayesha Gulalai has said, “it is very unfortunate that Pakistan's budget is being prepared by the IMF in Dubai.. instead of taxing the 4 million wealthy identified by the FBR, burden is being passed on to the already burdened masses.” What is the IMF's response?

  On Madagascar, when George Tsibouris on May 6 said the government agreed to "address the issue of fuel price subsidies over time," can you be more specific on how much time the IMF envisions? Also, can the IMF be more specific about what is referred to by "creating a level playing field for the private sector"?

  While the Managing Director is in Morocco, can you answer if Western Sahara is included by the IMF in Morocco's data, and what impact the IMF believes the Western Sahara issue has on Morocco's economy and economic prospects?

This last one, Inner City Press also asked two weeks ago, and again more recently on connection with the IMF's Ukraine program. Watch this site.

   

IMF Answers Inner City Press on Ghana and Opposition, Bosnia and Tobacco Products; Still No Answer on Western Sahara and Morocco Data

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 -- While Ukraine and Greece were the subjects of the first six questions taken at the International Monetary Fund's May 8 embargoed briefing, the IMF impacts countries all over the world. Inner City Press submitted five questions -- on Morocco, Madagascar, Pakistan, Bosnia and Ghana -- the last two of which were read out and answered during the briefing. Video here, filmed from IMF webcast while at UN Security Council stakeout

  On Ghana, Inner City Press asked: the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress Kofi Asamoah spoke out on May Day against the government seeking an IMF program. What does the IMF make of it, and would the IMF consult with such opponents if a program were requested?

  IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice said that Ghana has yet to formally request a program - there is a lot of discussion in the country about it, though. The IMF Board after its discussion of the Article IV review will have a press release in due course. He added that the IMF speaks with a range of people, and has spoken with the Trades Union Congress in the past.

  On Bosnia, Inner City Press asked what steps would the IMF require to unfreeze the next tranche of its stand-by program? Does the IMF have any comment on the Federation's May 6 auction of 6-month treasury bills?

  The IMF's spokesperson Rice's answer was long, so with the embargo expired we are uploading the video here, filmed from the IMF webcast while at the UN Security Council stakeout:

   Rice said the fifth review was completed; the decision by the Parliament to delay decisions including excises on different on tobacco products has delayed completion of the staff review. To go forward, full implementation of the prior actions is needed.

Inner City Press also asked:

  In Pakistan, PTI Information Secretary KPK and MNA Ayesha Gulalai has said, “it is very unfortunate that Pakistan's budget is being prepared by the IMF in Dubai.. instead of taxing the 4 million wealthy identified by the FBR, burden is being passed on to the already burdened masses.” What is the IMF's response?

  On Madagascar, when George Tsibouris on May 6 said the government agreed to "address the issue of fuel price subsidies over time," can you be more specific on how much time the IMF envisions? Also, can the IMF be more specific about what is referred to by "creating a level playing field for the private sector"?

  While the Managing Director is in Morocco, can you answer if Western Sahara is included by the IMF in Morocco's data, and what impact the IMF believes the Western Sahara issue has on Morocco's economy and economic prospects?

This last one, Inner City Press also asked two weeks ago, and again more recently on connection with the IMF's Ukraine program. Watch this site.

   

Exclusive: Of $10 Charge to hear UNDP's Helen Clark Speak in NZ, Like UN's Pay to Ask Through UNCA, Free UN Coalition for Access Questions

At UNDP, Pay to Listen to Clark, Pay to Ask through UNCA, FUNCA Fights 

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 3 -- How can people be charged money, $10 for adults and even $5 for children, to hear a UN system official speak about their work for the UN?

  The Free UN Coalition for Access put this question to the UN Development Program's three top spokespeople regarding UNDP Administrator Helen Clark's upcoming August 7 talk at the Baycourt Centennial Theatre in Tauranga City, New Zealand.

  The advertisement says Clark "will be speaking about her work as head of the United Nations Development Program, the peak global body that coordinates development strategy globally, and works in over 170 countries to empower people’s lives while helping nations become more resilient. With a budget of over $US 5 billion a year."

  Five billion dollars a year but Administrator Helen Clark virtually never holds a question and answer press conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

    Last year after an inquiry by Inner City Press, she did disavow a previous business award she'd given to a tobacco firm. That came through UNDP lead spokesperson Satinder Bindra, to whom along with Clark's "personal" spokesperson Christina LoNigro and Abdel-Rahman Ghandour the Free UN Coalition for Access has sent these questions:

"This is a timely request for an explanation of how (or if) it is consistent with UN system principles and rules for UNDP Administrator Helen Clark's upcoming talk "about her work as head of the United Nations Development Program" to have an entrance fee of $10, and even $5 for children, here.

"Given that this for-pay event is impending, please provide the requested explanation upon receipt / as quickly as possible and confirm receipt of this request for explanation.

"This is also a formal request that Administrator Clark belatedly hold a question and answer press conference in UN Headquarters in New York, and for an explanation of why she has done even fewer of these than Kemal Dervis or Ad Melkert. Thank you in advance."

  We will publish any substantive response -- one would think, well in advance of the August 7 event, which is listed (tellingly) as "sold out." Will those people be given their money back?

  There is a disturbing trend of money being charged in the UN system, that the Free UN Coalition for Access is looking into. At UN press conference, the UN Correspondents Association as it becomes increasingly discredited for, among other things, spying for the UN (story, audio of UNCA's first vice president Louis Charbonneau of Reuters,document with his "you didn't get this from me"), fights ever harder to be given the first question.

  But since UNCA 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBS News has said that this first question can be given to ANY dues paying member of UNCA, even one who ran for but was not elected to the Executive Committee, it is clearly a situation of pay to play: a person getting a first question at the UN in exchange for paying money. Where is the Office of Legal Affairs? The Ethics Office? OIOS?

  Also the UN gives large room S-310 to UNCA, for briefings they publicize only to those who pay them money. Even member states have started to complain about this. But those in charge of this increasingly discredited partnership, the UN Censorship Alliance, are apparently out of touch with member states and the rules of the UN that at least some of them used to previously seek to enforce.

This charging of money to children to hear a UN system official speak takes place outside of UN premises, far from New York in Helen Clark's native New Zealand. Watch this site.

   

World Health Organization Criticizes UN's Acceptance of Smoking and Tobacco Firms in Global Compact

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/who1tobacco020708.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 7 -- The World Health Organization on Thursday took the wider UN system to task for allowing smoking in its buildings, for not barring all tobacco-related corporations from the UN Global Compact, and for allowing senior UN officials to accept money or rent from cigarette companies. WHO's Douglas Bettcher said that tobacco firms could not credibly be part of any corporate social responsibility initiative like the Global Compact, whose director Georg Kell previously told Inner City Press, after noting WHO's opposition, that since "tobacco is a legal product... we do not see this as an ethical issue." Video here, from Minute 37:51. Bettcher referred to an upcoming UN Task Force meeting, where he hopes that this issue and the issue of the smoking still permitted in UN Headquarters will be addressed. Inner City Press asked if it is WHO's position that that countries' Ambassadors can be made to obey UN administrative rules. Bettcher did not directly answer, but rather said that most smoking bans turn out to be popular even with smokers. Video here, from Minute 31:12. That doesn't seem true into UN headquarters.

Following its exclusive report that UN Deputy Secretary General Asha Rose Migiro receives rent income from the Tanzania Cigarette Company, Inner City Press asked Bettcher if WHO thinks this is appropriate. Perhaps being diplomatic, Bettcher answered that WHO bans its officials from receiving any income or proceeds from tobacco-related firms. Afterwards, Inner City Press asked if WHO makes any of its financial disclosure forms public, and hearing Bettcher answer "no," suggested that this take place.

WHO's report on tobacco, largely funded by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, contained a mock cigarette pack filled with magic markers. Earlier Thursday, a reporter asked WHO's Director-General Margaret Chan and she replied -- flustered, some said -- that she hoped for a world in which such packages would all be filled with pencils and the like. Inner City Press asked Bettcher and his co-briefer, Patrick Petit, if WHO opposes for example chocolate cigarettes, as making smoking attractive to children. Yes, they both said, WHO is against this. But, Inner City Press asked, what is the difference between a cigarette pack containing chocolate and one containing magic markets? Petit said, pointing at the markers, "You don't put those in your mouth." Most of the time, at least...

And see, www.innercitypress.com/who1tobacco020708.html