VOLCANO TOURISM

New Zealand volcano disaster victims win damages

By AFP
February 29, 2024

Steam rises from the White Island volcano following the December 2019 volcanic eruption that claimed 22 lives - 

Copyright AFP/File Marty MELVILLE

Ryland JAMES

The victims and families affected by the 2019 New Zealand volcano disaster, which claimed 22 lives, were awarded total damages of NZ$10 million (US$6 million) on Friday.

The sum must be paid by five companies that transported 47 tourists to the volcanic island on December 9, 2019, the day it erupted.

Many of the 25 survivors suffered terrible burns.

In addition to paying out reparations, the islands’ owners, Whakaari Management Limited, along with White Island Tours and helicopter firm Volcanic Air Safaris, who ran tourist trips to the volcano, were fined.

GNS Science, which monitors New Zealand’s volcanos, was also ordered to pay a fine.

At Auckland District Court, Judge Evangelos Thomas said the total damages were “no more than a token recognition” of the victims’ suffering.

The group had been “physically, mentally and emotionally” traumatised by the disaster, he said, with many still bearing the physical scars.

“Your stories have been heartbreaking and inspiring, it has been a humbling privilege to hear them,” Thomas told the victims in court.

He said the exact reparation amounts would be adjusted in some cases, especially in instances where victims had lost parents.

Each of the companies sentenced had failed in their duties to assess and mitigate risk, Thomas added. “That failure exposed others to risk of serious injury and death.”

Since the eruption, no boat or aircraft tours have been allowed to land on the island.

The eruption off the coast of the country’s North Island prompted a massive medical operation that saw victims treated in burns units across New Zealand and Australia.

Thomas said many victims have seen their livelihoods affected by their injuries.

When the trial opened last July, the court was shown video footage of people on the island trying to flee a massive, expanding cloud of volcanic ash, which quickly engulfed them.

Some stumbled in their desperation to flee.

The head of New Zealand’s health and safety regulator WorkSafe said the victim’s harrowing experiences showed the impact of the disaster was “far wider” than just affecting those on the island that day.

“Today belongs to the survivors, and the whanau (family) and friends of those who were harmed or lost their lives,” said WorkSafe chief executive Steve Haszard.

He described it as “one of the worst natural disasters” in New Zealand’s history.

All of the businesses that controlled the island, or transported tourists to it, had been convicted of safety failings, Haszard added.

He said the disaster had forced significant changes in New Zealand.

“One impact has been to raise our national understanding about the obligations on businesses to do everything they can to keep people safe,” he said.

“This is a catastrophic example of what can go wrong when they don’t.”

FARMERS PROTESTS

French farmers protest near Paris’s Arc de Triomphe

By AFP
March 1, 2024

Farmers across Europe have been protesting for weeks

 - Copyright AFP Thomas SAMSON

French farmers ringed Paris’s famed Arc de Triomphe monument with tractors on Friday, saying the protest was aimed “at saving French agriculture”, the Rural Coordination union said.

Farmers across Europe have been protesting for weeks over what they say are excessively restrictive environmental rules, competition from cheap imports from outside the European Union and low incomes.

The farmers held up banners and dumped stacks of hay around the monument on the Champs-Elysees avenue.

“The Rural Coordination takes over the Arc de Triomphe symbolically and peacefully,” said a statement on social media platform X.

French farmers have continued to block roads, set fire to tyres and laid siege to supermarkets, saying they need more measures, after the government promised reforms.

S. Korea police raid medical association office over walkout


By AFP
March 1, 2024

Nearly 10,000 junior doctors -- about 80 percent of the trainee workforce -- walked off the job last week - Copyright AFP/File Jung Yeon-je

South Korean police raided the offices of the Korean Medical Association on Friday, an officer told AFP, as the government contends with a doctors’ strike that has led to chaos in hospitals.

Nearly 10,000 junior doctors — about 80 percent of the trainee workforce — walked off the job last week. They are protesting government plans to sharply increase medical school admissions to cope with shortages and an ageing society.

The government had set a Thursday deadline for medics to resume work or face potential legal consequences, including suspension of medical licenses and arrest.

There is currently no official data on the number of doctors who have returned post-deadline, the health ministry told AFP, but South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said most striking doctors remained off the job on Friday.

The mass work stoppage has taken a toll on hospitals, prompting the government to raise its public health alert to the highest level.

Around half of the surgeries scheduled at 15 major hospitals have been cancelled since last week, according to the health ministry.

Under South Korean law, doctors are restricted from striking.

Earlier this week, the government requested police investigate people connected to the stoppage.

Seoul’s police confirmed that it raided the Korean Medical Association (KMA) on Friday.

In response to the Thursday deadline and initiation of a police probe, the KMA slammed the government for “intimidation tactics” and accused it of turning the country into a “totalitarian state”.

The government says it is trying to address one of the lowest doctor-to-population ratios among developed nations. It is pushing to admit 2,000 more students to medical schools annually from next year.

Doctors say the plan will hurt the quality of service and medical education, but proponents say medics are mainly concerned the changes could erode their salaries and social status.

The KMA said its members will hold a rally in Seoul on Sunday, with local reports saying around 25,000 expected to join.

Safety lapses blamed for Bangladesh fire as toll rises to 45

By AFP
March 1, 2024

Bangladesh firefighters say glaring safety lapses were responsible for a fire in a popular Dhaka restaurant that killed 45 people - Copyright POOL/AFP KIM HONG-JI
Shafiqul ALAM

Bangladesh firefighters said Friday that glaring safety lapses were responsible for a Dhaka restaurant blaze that killed 45 people, with more deaths likely among those rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Thursday night’s fire began at a popular biryani restaurant at the bottom of a seven-floor commercial property in the capital’s upscale Bailey Road neighbourhood.

The entire building, home to several other eateries, was soon engulfed by flames that took fire crews two hours to bring under control.

Fire service operations director Rezaul Karim told AFP the blaze had been made worse by numerous cooking gas cylinders stored haphazardly in stairwells and restaurant kitchens.

“People heard the explosions of several gas cylinders during the fire,” he said.

Main Uddin, the national fire services chief, said the building lacked safety measures.

“It did not have at least two staircases or fire exit,” he told AFP. “Most of the people died from suffocation.”

Fire officials earlier told reporters they suspected the inferno began when one of the gas cylinders accidentally caught fire.

Police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP that another person had died on Friday morning while being treated in hospital.

“The death toll is now 45. The conditions of 15-16 injured people are critical,” he said.

Members of the public helped fire crews carry hoses and rescue survivors who clambered down the outside walls to safety as firefighters fought to bring the blaze under control.

“We were at the sixth floor when we first saw smoke racing through the staircase. A lot of people rushed upstairs,” Sohel, a restaurant manager who gave only his first name, told AFP.

“We used a water pipe to climb down the building. Some of us were injured as they jumped.”

– Poor safety record 


At one point at least 50 people were on the rooftop waiting to be rescued by fire cranes, Kamruzzaman Majumdar, an environmental science professor who was among the stranded, wrote in a Facebook post.

Police investigators were seen walking inside the gutted building and documenting the wreckage on Friday morning, hours after the government ordered an investigation into the fire’s origins.

Hundreds of anxious family members rushed to the nearby Dhaka Medical College Hospital overnight as ambulances brought the dead and injured to the clinic.

Explosions and fires are frequent in buildings and factories across Bangladesh, where safety standards are lax and corruption often allows them to be ignored.

Deadly blazes are typically sparked by gas cylinders, faulty air conditioners and bad electrical wiring.

Bangladesh’s worst fire took place in 2012, when a blaze ripped through a garment factory on Dhaka’s outskirts, killing at least 111 people and injuring more than 200 others.

At least 24 dead in migrant shipwreck off Senegal

By AFP
February 29, 2024

Senegal's coast is an increasingly common departure point for Africans fleeing poverty and unemployment - Copyright NTB/AFP Javad Parsa

At least 24 people seeking to reach Europe drowned off northern Senegal when their loaded vessel sank, the governor of the Saint Louis region told AFP on Thursday.

Governor Alioune Badara Samb said 24 bodies had been found since Wednesday when the boat got into difficulty in a particularly dangerous part of the northern coast. He added that 21 people had been rescued.

The Saint Louis estuary, where the Senegal River meets the Atlantic Ocean, is notorious for strong currents and areas of thick mud.

Samb did not say how many people were missing from the vessel, which witnesses said could have been carrying more than 300 people.

A number of survivors managed to reach shore and dispersed among locals on the sea banks, making it difficult to say exactly how many people were involved, he said.

Mamady Dianfo, a survivor from Casamance in the south, told AFP more than 300 people were on board when the boat left Senegal a week ago.

Another survivor, Alpha Balde, estimated there were more than 200 passengers.

Dianfo said the vessel reached Morocco, further north up the coast but the captain then said he was lost and could no longer continue the journey.

“We asked him to take us back to Senegal,” he said.

President Macky Sall on Thursday expressed his “deep sadness” following the “tragic capsizing” in a message on X, formerly Twitter.

He added that the relevant authorities had been deployed to offer support and assistance.

Senegal’s coast is an increasingly common departure point for Africans fleeing poverty and unemployment and heading to the Canary Islands, their port of entry into Europe.

European Union border agency Frontex says Senegal and Morocco are the most common countries of origin for migrants arriving on the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic.

Of the more than 6,600 migrants who died or went missing trying to reach Spain last year, the vast majority were lost on the treacherous Atlantic route, according to Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras.

Iranians split on whether to vote or not in elections

Tehran (Iran) (AFP) – As Iranians cast ballots on Friday, many are preoccupied with a pivotal question, not about which candidate to pick, but whether to vote at all.

Issued on: 01/03/2024 

Khamenei had earlier warned that Iran's 'enemies want to see if the people are present,' in Friday's elections

 © ATTA KENARE / AFP

"It is a religious duty, it is a national duty, and it is the order of the supreme leader," said Afrasiabi, 43, while proudly displaying his ink-stained finger at a polling station south of Tehran.

Afrasiabi was among those who turned out on Friday to pick members of a new parliament and the Assembly of Experts, a body in charge of electing Iran's supreme leader.

More than 61 million people out of the Islamic republic's 85-million population are eligible to vote.

But fears of a low participation rate loomed large after a state TV poll found more than half of respondents were indifferent about the elections.

"I am not voting for two reasons. The first is that I want a lot of changes that are not possible with the current candidates," said 32-year-old Lida.

"Secondly, I have always voted for reformists, but none have been approved."

Jurists in charge of vetting approved 15,200 hopefuls to run for parliament and 144 candidates for the Assembly of Experts. Many moderate and reformist candidates were disqualified.

Some voters decried what they referred to as 'propaganda' campaigns outside Iran urging people not to cast their ballots 

© ATTA KENARE / AFP

Iran's present parliament is dominated by conservatives and ultra-conservatives, and observers expect a similar make-up in the new assembly.

Friday's elections are the first since Iran was rocked by mass protests triggered by the September 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.
'Enemies of Iran'

Government employee Morteza, 40, says he voted "to try to improve the (political) situation".

"Boycotting the elections will not change anything," he said, referring to calls by some opposition figures and members of the diaspora.

"There is no advantage in not voting, but maybe there is an advantage in participation."

His wife, Akram, said voting was a way of not "letting foreigners interfere in the affairs of our country".

Khamenei had earlier warned that Iran's "enemies want to see if the people are present," adding that otherwise "they will threaten your security in one way or another."

Iran's 2020 parliament was elected during the Covid pandemic, with a voter turnout of 42.57 percent -- the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution 

© ATTA KENARE / AFP

Other voters decried what they referred to as "propaganda" campaigns outside Iran urging people not to cast their ballots.

"Those who do not vote have actually voted, they have voted for the enemies of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Iran," said a 50-year-old Shiite cleric on condition of anonymity.

He cast his ballot at a polling station in central Tehran where dozens of people queued to vote, though in lower numbers compared with previous elections.

Iran's 2020 parliament was elected during the Covid pandemic, with a turnout of 42.57 percent -- the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Pedram, a mathematics teacher living west of Tehran, said authorities in Iran "use votes for propaganda purposes".

They "consider each vote for a candidate and even blank votes as a vote for the entire system", he said.

© 2024 AFP

Iranian parliamentary election: what people are voting for and why it’s different this time


The people’s choice (although candidates for Iran’s parliamentary elections have all been pre-approved by the religious authorities). EPA-EFE/Abedin Taherkenareh

Published: February 29, 2024 
Author  Louise Kettle

Assistant Professor of International Relations, 

University of Nottingham
THE CONVERSATION

Iranian voters head to the polls on March 1 to elect the country’s next parliament and the powerful Assembly of Experts. The result is likely to be a foregone conclusion, given the tight control that the Islamic Republic holds over who can run for office. But the way the election plays out – and its significance – may be different to normal.

Every four years the public get to vote for the 290 members of the Iranian parliament (also known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly). The parliament is the legislature of the country, and its members are responsible for drafting legislation, approving the annual budget and any international treaties or agreements. It is not responsible for foreign or nuclear policy.

At the same time, elections are being held for the Assembly of Experts, which serves an eight-year term and is imbued under the Iranian constitution to monitor, dismiss and elect the supreme leader.

Despite Iranians being able to vote, there are a number of limitations to the democratic process in Iran. Most notably, all candidates are vetted by the Guardian Council – an unelected body – hence removing a significant element of choice.


Of the 49,000 people who registered to run for parliament this year, 14,200 applicants were approved. This has involved the disqualification of many reformist and centrist conservatives and has left mainly right-wing conservatives vying for posts.

In fact, only 30 reformists have been approved to run for office, leaving them to claim that the elections are “meaningless, non-competitive, unfair, and ineffective in the administration of the country”.

In the Assembly of Experts, 144 candidates have been approved to run for the 88 seats. But the centrist and reformist former president, Hassan Rouhani, has been banned from seeking re-election. This has further cemented the Assembly of Experts as a stronghold of conservatives and ultra-conservatives.

The names of the final candidates were also released very late – just two weeks before the election. This has allowed little time for campaigning or, more importantly, for the public to get to know who they are supposed to be voting for.
It’s different this time around

There are three important points to note about this election. First, this is the first election since the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini died in police custody in September 2022, at the age of 26, after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code.

Her death led to widespread protests across Iran which were met with a brutal crackdown. And while these “woman, life, freedom” protests, may have largely died down after 18 months, they continue via online activism and civil disobedience.

Therefore, this election is likely to see some response from these events, with women and young people wanting to continue the protest through the ballot box.

Read more: Women's activism in Iran continues, despite street protests dying down in face of state repression

Second, there is expected to be a low turnout. Voting turnout has been on the decline in Iranian elections for some time, but increasing dissatisfaction with the voting choice, combined with apathy and frustration over the lack of change in the country means that many voters are planning to stay away from the ballot box.

Vote for me (or someone like me): Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urges people to cast their ballots.

 EPA-EFE/Iranian supreme leader's office

A recent poll suggested that national turnout is likely to be at 35% and only 18% in the capital, Tehran. By comparison, the turnout in 2020 was 42.5% – but this was the lowest it had been since 1979 and was during a global pandemic.
Succession question

A low turnout could be problematic for the political leadership, who rely on elections to provide a veil of legitimacy over their regime. As a result, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has started a dual pronged campaign of encouraging citizens to vote and blaming the west if they don’t.

Last month he tweeted: “Elections are the main pillar of the Islamic Republic, and they are the way to improve the country. For those who are seeking to solve the problems, the way to do this is the elections.”

He also attended a meeting with people from the East Azerbaijan province and used the opportunity to emphasise that it was the intention of what he called the “arrogant powers” and the US to encourage people to boycott the elections.

The third point is that the elections are likely to have a greater significance for the future of Islamic Republic than normal. Khamenei is currently 84 years old, so the election of the next supreme leader is likely to happen within the next eight-year term of the Assembly of Experts.

This is why it is thought that the Guardian Council has been so restrictive when it has come to this year’s candidate selection for the Assembly – because this election could secure Iranian succession.

The first results could emerge within 24 hours, although the full tally – and what it means for Iran’s future – may not be clear for some days.

Louise Kettle is an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute
University of Nottingham 

Putin seeks to 'normalise situation' as Russians sense something 'really wrong going on'


Issued on: 01/03/2024

President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday of a "real" risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine, offering a defiant and emboldened stance in his annual speech to Russians. Speaking in Moscow, Putin said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of "tragic consequences" for any country that dared to send troops to Kyiv. Putin's comments appeared to be a response to French President Emmanuel Macron's refusal earlier this week to rule out sending troops to Ukraine -- a stance swiftly disavowed by other leaders in Europe. The debate has struck a nerve in Moscow, which has long seen its conflict with Ukraine as part of a wider "hybrid war" being waged against it by NATO. Amid Putin's stark warning to the West, François Picard is joined by Anton Shekhovtsov, external Lecturer at the University of Vienna, Founder of the Centre for Democratic Integrity.

10:52  Video by: François PICARD

 

'We won't forget you!': Navalny mourners bid farewell

Issued on: 01/03/2024 - 

In a candle-lit Moscow church, mourners stood Friday in silence around the coffin of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny as thousands paid tribute outside. Two weeks after his death in an Arctic prison, Navalny's family could finally say goodbye.

02:10  Video by: Monte FRANCIS

\

 

Russians gather in subdued defiance to lay 'fearless' Kremlin critic Navalny to rest


Issued on: 01/03/2024 

06:55

Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was laid to rest on Friday in a Moscow cemetery where thousands of mourners had gathered, two weeks after he died in an Arctic prison. The anti-corruption campaigner, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent, was buried after a brief candle-lit funeral service in a nearby church. FRANCE 24's Chief Foreign Editor Rob Parsons tells us more.

Energy-related CO2 emissions hit record levels in 2023: IEA

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE HOW'S THAT GOING

By AFP
March 1, 2024

A drop in coal demand in advanced nations last year helped boost low-emission power generation there to over half the total - Copyright POOL/AFP KIM HONG-JI

Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose to a record level in 2023, but the growth slowed from previous years thanks to continued expansion of clean technologies, the International Energy Agency said Friday.

CO2 emissions from energy rose by 1.1 percent in 2023, increasing by 410 million tonnes to a record 37.4 billion tonnes, slowing down from a gain of 490 million tonnes in 2022, the IEA said in its annual update on emissions.

The IEA said that without technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, nuclear power and electric cars, the global increase in energy-related CO2 emissions over the last five years would have been three times larger the 900 million tonnes registered.

Over 40 percent of last year’s increase in carbon emissions from energy resulted from severe droughts in China, the United States, India and elsewhere which cut hydro-electric output and forced utilities to resort to fossil fuels.

Without the water shortfalls, global carbon emissions from power generation alone would have fallen last year.

Energy carbon emissions rose in China and India in 2023, while advanced economies saw a record fall even as their economies grew. Their emissions dropped to a 50-year low as coal demand fell back to levels not seen since the early 1900s.

For the first time last year, at least half the power generated in advanced economies came from low-emissions sources like renewables and nuclear.

Even as China’s emissions grew, it added as much solar PV capacity in 2023 as the entire world did in 2022.

“The clean energy transition has undergone a series of stress tests in the last five years -– and it has demonstrated its resilience,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

“A pandemic, an energy crisis and geopolitical instability all had the potential to derail efforts to build cleaner and more secure energy systems. Instead, we’ve seen the opposite in many economies.”

Too many used car ads on Facebook Marketplace lack safety details


ByDr. Tim Sandle
February 29, 2024

Prices are surging for goods including used cars across the United States, but consumer confidence data indicates Americans' inflation expectations are dropping - Copyright AFP/File FABRICE COFFRINI

A new study has uncovered an alarming trend: sellers advertising cars on Facebook Marketplace without disclosing important safety information.

This assessment comes from automotive experts at etyres who have analysed 200 used car advertisements from across the UK on Facebook Marketplace. The company has provided the output of its analysis to Digital Journal. From these data, they have calculated how many fail to mention safety details such as MOT status, service history, tyre condition, and V5C log book information.

Concerningly, one in four of the advertisements analysed do not include any of this safety information whatsoever.

The UK Consumer Rights Act states that goods sold by individuals must match their description. Selling a car without safety information isn’t illegal, however, selling an unroadworthy car is illegal unless the buyer is fully aware. If the buyer proceeds with the purchase despite missing safety details and the seller hasn’t made false claims, returning the car isn’t an option, leaving the buyer responsible for any costs.

Four hidden safety risks of buying cars from Facebook Marketplace revealed by research are:

Not listing MOT status

While it’s legal to privately sell a car that has failed its MOT, buyers must be aware so they can arrange transportation to a garage for the test as soon as they purchase the car. Driving a car without a valid MOT certificate, including during test drives, can result in hefty fines of up to £1,000.

Failing to disclose tyre information

Only one in seven car advertisements analysed disclosed any information about tyres. Tyre tread depth is a critical safety indicator, yet only one in seven car advertisements analysed disclosed any information about tyres.

Given that tyre tread depth is the most common reason cars fail their MOT in winter followed by tyre faults in general, this oversight is alarming. The legal tread depth limit in the UK is 1.6mm.

Service history omissions

Some 70 percent of car advertisements analysed omit crucial service history information. It is estimated that not having a full-service history for your car can reduce its value by as much as 20%. Regular services allow small issues with cars to be identified and fixed before they become big problems that could lead to safety issues and MOT failure further down the road. As a buyer, if you are opting to buy a car that doesn’t have a full service history ensure this is reflected in the asking price before sealing the deal.

Missing V5C log book

A concerning 90 percent of car advertisements analysed failed to mention the presence of a V5C logbook. The absence of this document raises significant concerns, including the risk of purchasing a stolen, written-off, or vehicle with unpaid finance against it. Even if there are no untoward reasons why the logbook is missing it costs £25 to replace it.

Methodology: etyres analysed 200 used car advertisements from Facebook marketplace from areas across the UK. All advertisements were for used Ford Fiesta cars, the most popular car in the UK. Data correct as of February 2024.

Brazil urges G20 ensure ‘super-rich pay fair share’ of taxes


By  AFP
February 29, 2024

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad speaks during the G20 finance ministers meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil - Copyright AFP Elijah Nouvelage

Brazil’s finance minister called Thursday for an international plan to ensure the world’s super-rich pay their taxes, urging G20 nations to adopt a shared stance on preventing billionaire tax-dodging by July.

“It’s an undeniable fact that the billionaires of the world are still evading our tax systems through a series of strategies,” Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told his counterparts from the Group of 20 leading economies in Sao Paulo.

“I sincerely ask myself how we as G20 finance ministers can allow a situation like this to continue,” he added, saying Brazil would seek to craft a joint G20 declaration on international taxation by the next ministerial meeting in July.

Brazil, the current president of the G20 — whose members make up 80 percent of the global economy — is pushing the group to cooperate on tax policy, amid global wrangling on how to deal with a so-called “race to the bottom,” where some countries woo corporations and the super-rich with zero or ultra-low taxes.

In 2021, G20 finance ministers endorsed a global tax-rule reform based on two “pillars”: taxing large multinational corporations wherever they make their sales, to prevent “digital tax-dodging”; and a minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent, regardless of where companies put their headquarters.

Countries are at different stages of implementing those reforms.

Some nations are now pushing for a “third pillar” that would tackle tax evasion by the super-rich.

Haddad cited a recent report by the EU Tax Observatory that found global billionaires are achieving effective tax rates of zero to 0.5 percent on their wealth, largely by using shell companies.

“Effective solutions to ensure the super-rich pay their fair share of taxes depend on international cooperation,” said Haddad, a close ally of Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The issue “could be the key to solving many of the challenges we face,” he added.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told journalists Wednesday that Paris is pushing to “accelerate” international negotiations on a minimum tax on the ultra-wealthy.

Brazil invited a series of speakers to address the meeting on the issue, including French economist Gabriel Zucman, an expert on the link between tax evasion and inequality — another key issue for Brazil in its G20 presidency.

G20 hears a $250-billion-a-year idea: tax the super-rich


By AFP
February 29, 2024

French economist Gabriel Zucman speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of a G20 finance ministers meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil 

- Copyright AFP/File VALERIE MACON
Joshua Howat Berger

French economist Gabriel Zucman brought a $250-billion-a-year idea to top policy makers from the world’s biggest economies Thursday: slap an international wealth tax on the super-rich.

Zucman, a 37-year-old ex-protege of renowned economist and inequality expert Thomas Piketty, was invited to outline his research on tax evasion by the ultra-wealthy at a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 nations, which is working to address the issue.

In an interview with AFP on the sidelines of the gathering in Sao Paulo, the UC Berkeley and Paris School of Economics professor discussed how billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos get away with paying zero income tax, how to change that, and why world leaders need to do it fast to save democracy.

– What is argument for minimum tax on super-rich? 

“There is a growing body of evidence that today’s tax systems, instead of being progressive, tend to be sharply regressive at the top of the distribution… The explosion of extreme wealth is one of the defining features of the world economy. It’s really in our face. And the fact that these people (billionaires) pay very little in tax has become more and more obvious over the years.

“One concrete proposal is billionaires should pay each year, in income tax, the equivalent of at least two percent of their wealth… Unlike income, wealth is very well-defined.

“There are about 3,000 US-dollar-billionaires globally… That would generate about $250 billion in additional tax revenue worldwide.

“According to the best estimates that we have, developing countries need an additional $500 billion to face the challenges of climate change. So we can get half of that with just this minimum tax on billionaires.

– What was the reaction at G20? –

“Today is really the first time that there has been a discussion like this in a forum like the G20. And I was struck by the fact that many countries expressed support for the view that yes, we should have international agreements about taxing the super-rich, increasing tax progressivity, fighting inequality. I think it’s a very positive development.

“It’s the very beginning of the conversation. There has to be an inclusive discussion and more studies to flesh out the details.”

– Billionaires will hate it. What’s your message to them? –

“It’s good if they hate it. Because it shows that this will actually make a difference. This is actually the one tax that’s going to be very hard for them to avoid. The income tax is very easy to avoid. The inheritance or estate tax, they’re also very good at avoiding it. This is something that will be very hard for them to avoid. So yes, they’re going to fight.

“But I think what I fear more is the consequences of inaction. I think it is much more risky to continue (the current trend) of rising concentration of wealth, of tax injustice.

“The inequalities we have today… are unlikely to be very sustainable. They are corrosive for democracy.”