(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 2 September 2002 WAN and World Editors Forum (WEF) letter to President Álvaro Uribe Vélez: His Excellency President Álvaro Uribe Vélez Bogota, Colombia Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co 2 September 2002 Your Excellency, We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 2 September 2002 WAN and World Editors Forum (WEF) letter to President Álvaro Uribe Vélez:
His Excellency President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Bogota, Colombia
Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
2 September 2002
Your Excellency,
We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100 countries, to express our serious concern at a proposal to sharply increase taxes paid by newspapers.
According to reports, the government is considering increasing taxation on newsprint, sales and advertising by up to 16 percent. The proposals reportedly suggest that taxation of advertising revenues will be extended to include low circulation publications, which have so far been exempt from such charges.
While acknowledging that newspaper publishers should contribute to national tax revenues as any other business, we are seriously concerned that these proposals come at a time when many Colombian publications are struggling to survive in a difficult economic environment, particularly with low advertising revenues. We are concerned that if the new proposals become law, many newspapers may be forced out of existence. Such an occurrence could have an adverse effect on the national debate at a critical juncture in the new government’s struggle to overcome the various rebel movements.
We respectfully call on you to do everything possible to ensure that newspaper taxation is not increased, so that the maximum number of voices may continue to contribute to the national debate.
We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Seok Hyun Hong
President
World Association of Newspapers
Gloria Brown Anderson
President
World Editors Forum
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be sent to:
His Excellency President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Bogota, Colombia
E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
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