Thai gov. to tax (remitted) income from abroad for tax residents starting 2024 - Part II

[rooster59]

Brazil truckers maintain blockades, near standoff with military

By Eduardo Simões

 

Truckers attend a protest against high diesel fuel prices in Duque de Caxias near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil May 25, 2018. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

 

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A truckers protest over diesel prices that has crippled key sectors of Latin America's biggest economy dragged into Friday night, putting drivers in a standoff with Brazilian President Michel Temer who authorized military force to clear highways.

 

The protest will stretch into its sixth day on Saturday. South America's largest city and economic hub Sao Paulo decreed a state of emergency, as did Rio de Janeiro.

 

Gas stations and airports across the nation ran out of fuel, supermarket shelves went bare and hospitals said they were running out of supplies. Public transport and trash collection was reduced or halted across the country, and many schools cancelled classes as teachers could not get to work.

 

Lack of feed supplies may cause one billion birds and 20 million hogs to die, Brazilian meat group ABPA said.

 

"Those blocking the highways and acting in a radical manner are hurting the population," Temer said in a televised address. "We will not allow hospitals to run out of supplies to save lives. We will not allow children to be harmed by the closure of schools."

 

Yet Friday night, much of the country remained paralysed.

 

Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann said at a Friday night news conference that there were over 500 blockades on roadways across Brazil, but that was half of those registered 24 hours before.

 

Brazil's oil regulator ANP said once roads are completely cleared, it would still take a week to normalise fuel supplies nationwide.

 

In response to the threat of military action, Abcam, a Brazilian truckers association that says it represents 600,000 drivers, called on them to no longer block roads.

 

However, it encouraged drivers to keep protesting and not deliver goods, meaning it was likely the situation would remain critical.

 

ACCORD, LITTLE ACTION

 

Negotiators for several trucker groups agreed late on Thursday to suspend their blockages for 15 days after the government vowed to subsidise and stabilise diesel prices, which may cost 5 billion reais ($1.4 billion) this year.

 

To win over truckers the government promised to extend for 30 days a 10-percent diesel price cut announced by state-led oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

 

Shares of Petrobras, as the company is known, closed down nearly 1.4 percent on Friday after plunging 19 percent in the prior two days, as the blockades continued.

 

But the Abcam trucking association that ignited the strike was not among the parties that signed the accord and insisted on Friday it would not do so until Congress puts diesel tax cuts into law, which would take several days at the quickest.

 

No trucks were able to enter the port of Santos, Latin America's largest, and oilseeds crushing group Abiove told Reuters that soy exports would halt on Saturday if truckers did not allow access to major ports.

 

ABPA said 152 poultry and pork processing plants had indefinitely suspended production.

 

Auto production, which contributes about a quarter of Brazil's industrial output, ground to a halt on Friday in the latest blow to a fragile economic recovery following the worst downturn in decades.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-26

[thaibeachlovers]

They should be grateful to have jobs, as driverless trucks will be coming in as soon as the big corporations can make it happen.

However, IMO most freight should be moved by rail anyway. I'm no friend of truckers in my country, as they behave badly and cause problems for other road users.

By penalising the population with their protests they are causing bad feelings and losing support, when they should be striking to get better wages, and let the companies sort out the government.

[Proboscis]

How exactly is the Brazilian government supposed to lower the international oil (diesel) price? Instead of holding the country to randsom which will have the army deployed to take over distribution of goods anyway, why don't the drivers negotiate a higher price for their services the same way as everyone else does when fuel prices go up.

 

I get the impression that something else is going on here that is not apparent to outsiders - most likely some sort of political manoevering.

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, Proboscis said:

How exactly is the Brazilian government supposed to lower the international oil (diesel) price?

Because it isn't.

"the government vowed to subsidise and stabilise diesel prices, which may cost 5 billion reais ($1.4 billion) this year." The government will artificially lower the retail fuel price with a subsidy that ultimately costs the Brazilian taxpayer. 

[Ulic]

Truckers, the so-called Knights of the road. Thugs in Brazil

or so it would seem. I would have thought the delivery costs

per kilometer would have gone up with the extra expense of diesel.

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post has been removed.  The off topic trolling post was posted in bold font, please stop using bold font when posting.