Tax-free fresh fruit and vegetables.

[Guest guest]

Dear Fellow Raws,<br><br>I am writing to you

because I am hoping you will send me your approval and

congratulations.<br><br>Because we have succeeded in making all fresh fruit and

vegetables, across the entire Continent, tax-free.<br><br>And

not only are all fresh fruit and vegetables tax-free,

but we have succeeded in putting a twelve and a half

percent tax on all cooked food.<br><br>And tell me, do

take time to write, is this good or

what?<br><br>Imagine, from the Equator to the South Pole, from the

International Date Line to half-way across the Indian Ocean,

cooked food is taxed while fresh fruit and vegetables

are tax-free.<br><br>What say you ?<br><br>Victor.

[Guest guest]

Victor; Are you serious? How did that happen. I want to here more about this,

and yes congratulations.<br><br>Doug

[Guest guest]

Dear Doug,<br><br>Thanks for you

congratulations.<br><br>It came about quite simply. The government wanted to

introduce a value added tax on everything. So we said we

will agree if you exempt fresh fruit and

vegetables.<br><br>So when we buy fresh fruit and vegetables we pay no

tax, but when we buy cooked food, we pay twelve and a

half percent tax.<br><br>I think this is an

extraordinary victory for Raw and I think it calls for a

re-thinking of our whole strategic position.<br><br>Prior to

our tax victory we were on the defensive, almost

seeing ourselves as an oppressed minority, we saw

ourselves as victims of the multinationals. Now they are

paying tax and we are not.<br><br>We need a well thought

out strategy that enables us to act from

strength.<br><br>Thanks for your congratulations. And yes it is an

extaordinary thing to happen. And we did it

ourselves.<br><br>Victor.

[Guest guest]

Victor,<br><br>I think that's fantastic that

fresh fruits & veggies escaped the tax man. Here in

Texas we are fortunate in that sales tax (roughly the

equivalent of GST) also is not applied to fruits or

vegetables, nor is it applied to many other food items. The

tax basis seems to be whether the food is considered

a basic food or food staple or whether it is not.

Some junk foods like colas are taxed, as is food

served at restaurants. I think the tax status varies

though in different states, here in the States.