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France imposes digital tax on Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon (GAFA)

The French Parliament on Thursday adopted, by a final vote of the Senate, the introduction of a tax on `GAFA’, making France one of the first countries to impose a tax on digital giants.

The GAFA tax refers to an acronym for Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

The digital tax is endorsed by the opposition-controlled upper house, paving the way to the eurozone second largest power to unilaterally tax internet giants by three per cent on much of their digital sales in France.

This is related to advertising, websites and the resale of private data.

The tax was initially adopted by the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on July 4.

GAFA targets digital companies with global annual sales of more than 750 million euros ($845.6 million) and sales in France of at least 25 million euros.

Introduced in France from Jan. 1, this three per cent tax on digital gross sales would help to collect 400 million euros this year and 650 million euros by 2022.

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Topaz Toastmaster

By Lucy Ogalue
Mr Winston Ekpotu, the Division E Director, District 94, Region 11, Toastmasters Club, Abuja, has charged Nigerians to develop themselves and their leadership skills.

Ekpota told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, at the Gala and Awards night in celebration of Toastmasters’ 5th Anniversary, that becoming a member of the club was one key way to ensure development.

“To everyone out there, I will say that developing yourself is something that you need to take seriously.

“Toastmasters club will allow you develop yourself even better than you would have anticipated.

“Every time we come together to talk about the Nigerian problem, we often say it is leadership problem.

“What we fail to understand is that every single individual is a leader on his or her own right.

“Perhaps you have not found yourself in the right environment to allow you to express those leadership instincts.

“So, join a Toastmasters Club, there you will learn more about moral authority as opposed to that of formal authority where people just tell you what to do because they sign your pay check.

“If you find the time to belong to a regular Toastmasters club, I can assure that you will harness those skills that are inherent in you.’’

According to Ekpotu, the essence of the gathering, in addition to celebrating the club’s fifth anniversary, is to also celebrate as a community beyond just fragments in different spaces.

“We have come together to celebrate five years of growth, five years of empowering individuals.

“We have come together to celebrate five years of making/turning shy people into competent communicators and effective leaders,’’ Ekpotu said.

The Chairperson of the event, Mrs Stella George said that the club had, over the years, improved itself, networked and produced competent leaders in the country.

“We are today celebrating our past leaders, those that brought Toastmasters to Abuja and those still working to ensure members still battling with fear of public speaking overcome it,’’ George said.

Mr Olu Joseph, President, Urban Professionals Toastmasters, Wuse, Abuja, thanked the club for its impact on Nigerians and urged Nigerians to improve their communication skills to overcome their fear of public speaking.

Recipients of the various awards expressed their pleasure and gratitude to the club.

NAN reports that Toastmasters International is a US headquartered non-profit educational organisation that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication and public speaking skills.

In 2010, the first Toastmasters club in Abuja, Nigeria was chartered after which several emerged in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Yola in the northern region.

Leaders and Orators such as President Obama, President Bush and late Steve Jobs developed public speaking skills from the club.

The club helps its members to discover their speaking skills, develop self-confidence, speak effectively and develop leadership abilities among other benefits.

US President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into France’s proposed tax on technology companies.

The US said it was “very concerned” by the planned digital service tax, a move which could see the States retaliate by imposing new tariffs or other trade restrictions.

In a statement announcing the investigation, US trade representative Robert Lighthizer said there were concerns the tax “unfairly targets American companies”.

The proposed three per cent  tax on French revenue of large internet companies is expected to pass the French Senate and could yield €500m (£450m) a year.

It would target companies with at least €750m (£675m) in annual revenues and apply to revenue from digital business, such as online advertising.

Companies including Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook would likely be affected.The United States Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement “services covered are ones where US firms are global leaders.

“The structure of the proposed new tax as well as statements by officials suggest that France is unfairly targeting the tax at certain US-based technology companies.”

Mr Lighthizer said the US president had directed the investigation find out whether the tax is “discriminatory or unreasonable and burdens or restricts United States commerce”.

Previous investigations by the US have included Chinese trade practices and EU subsidies on large commercial aircraft.

The tax would hit some 30 companies, many of which are American, but also Chinese, German, Spanish and British companies.

One French firm and several firms with French origins that have been taken over by foreign companies will also be included in the tax plans.

Technology industry lobby group ITI has urged the US not to impose tariffs in retaliation.

“We support the US government’s efforts to investigate these complex trade issues but urge it to pursue the 301 investigation in a spirit of international cooperation and without using tariffs as a remedy,” Jennifer McCloskey, ITI’s vice president of policy, said.

But the investigation was praised by Senate finance committee chairman Chuck Grassley and Democrat Senator Ron Wyden.

In a joint statement, they said: “The digital services tax that France and other European countries are pursuing is clearly protectionist and unfairly targets American companies in a way that will cost US jobs and harm American workers.

“The United States would not need to pursue this path if other countries would abandon these unilateral actions and focus their energies on the multilateral process that is under way.”

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Africa Anti-corruption Day- Corruption, terminal disease, says AUDA-NEPAD Boss

    Corruption has been described as a terminal disease ravaging  development and growth of continents of the world, Africa in particular.

This was said by Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer, African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Nigeria, in a statement signed by Obed Atuora, Assistant Director (Media) in the agency.

According to Akobundu, Nigeria being the giant of Africa is determined to eradicate the disease from her soil.

The National Coordinator said this at the event marking the 3rd African Anti-Corruption Day with the theme; Towards a common African position on Asset Recovery, organised by EFCC in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

Akobundu lamented that corruption had been hindering AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria and president Mohammadu Buhari Administration’s efforts to provide good governance, infrastructural facilities, create job, empower youths and women, improve the living standard of the people, socio-economic and political environment necessary for the development of Africa and Nigeria.

    According to the NC/CEO, “corruption tarnishes the image of Africa and if the general public collaborates with the EFCC and other related agencies on the fight against corruption, Africa and Nigeria in particular will eliminate corruption in the nearest future.”

    Akobundu advised Africans and Nigerians to be contended with whatever they have and live within their means as well as eschew anything that could lead them to corrupt practices.

 Also  speaking at the occasion, the Acting Executive Chairman EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu said that the commission has recovered huge sum of stolen money and assets adding that the EFCC will not relent till corruption is eradicated in the country.

    According to Magu, the EFCC has prosecuted and secured jail terms in the law court for high profile personalities noting that the commission could not have made such achievements without the support of the people and appealed to the general public to continue to support and have confidence in EFCC till corruption is eliminated in our country.

    The one day event commenced with the war against corruption sensitization Roadwalk which started from Unity Fountain, Maitama and terminated at Yar’adua Centre.

The staff of EFCC, AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, security officials, NYSC members, civil Society Organisations, media and general public, carried various placards with inscriptions such as ‘kill corruption, corruption is a great problem to our economic development, Join EFCC to fight corruption, R.I.P corruption, to mention but a few.

    The event ended at Yar’adua centre with a roundtable discussion after presentation of a paper on the theme: Towards a common Africa position on Assets Recovery by Dr. Tayo Oke.

    The discussion was chaired by the former minister, diplomat and educationist, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari while Messrs Olusoji Apampa, Ray Murphy, Dayo Olaide were the discussants. 

At the end of the discussion, the panel of discussants agreed that corruption was inimical to the nation’s success and progress.

They appealed to Africans and Nigerians to join EFCC and other related agencies in the war against corruption.

Volkswagen rolls out its last beetle

Volkswagen rolled the last Beetle off the assembly line on Wednesday, the end of the road for a car that ran from Nazi Germany through hippie counterculture but failed to navigate a swerve in consumer tastes toward SUVs.

Serenaded by a mariachi band and surrounded by proud factory workers, the final units of the retro, rounded compact were celebrated at a VW plant in Mexico’s central Puebla state more than 80 years after the model was introduced in Germany.

The Puebla factory, which already produces VW’s Tiguan SUV, will make the Tarek SUV in place of the Beetle starting in late 2020, Volkswagen de Mexico Chief Executive Steffen Reiche said. The bigger vehicles are more popular in the United States, the main export market for the Mexico factory.

In the 1960s, the car was a small-is-beautiful icon of the postwar Baby Boom generation. The 1968 movie “The Love Bug,” which featured a zany anthropomorphic vehicle, stoked Beetle fever.

Despite its place in popular culture, sales of the car have been lackluster in recent years. The German automaker announced in September that the Beetle would go extinct

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not extend the deadline for submission of list of candidates’ names by political parties for the 2019 general elections.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

Oyekanmi said that the Commission had scheduled the submission of candidates’ names for the Presidential and National Assembly between Oct. 10 and Oct. 18, and deadline for the Governorship and State Assemblies election for Nov. 2, and there is no extension.

“The Commission is following its timetable and schedule of activities for 2019 general elections. No extension of deadline for submission.”

Rotimi, who was unable to give the precise number of political parties that met the deadline as at the time of filing this report, said “over 80 political parties made it but I am still waiting for the precise number.”

NAN correspondent, who also visited the Aso Hall, International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, the venue of the submission after the deadline, reports that some officers of political parties, who got tallies on Wednesday night were still going through the submission process.

A staff of the Commission, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that given of tally to political parties stopped Thursday night.

He said due to the last minutes rush by political parties, INEC staff, security officers and other personnel on duty at the venue were unable to go home.

He said that they had reached about 70 out of over 80 political parties that had so far submitted their candidates’ list.

He also confirmed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had submitted their forms.

NAN reports that as at 4p.m., on Friday some political parties’ representatives were seen in front of the hall waiting for their turn to submit their forms. (NAN)