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Tax the Rich, Not the Poor!: A Call to Institute A Wealth Tax

By Campaign, Global Inequalities

Webinar “Wealth Tax for Tax Justice: A Call Whose Time Has Come!”

As inequality and poverty grow in the Philippines, in Asia, and across the globe, so too does the call for a wealth tax.

A wealth tax is a potent tool for equality and justice. A wealth tax is a tax on the market value of assets owned by an individual taxpayer rather than on his/her income. Taxable assets may include cash, bank deposits, shares, land, real property, cars, and furniture. By taxing the wealth of high net-worth individuals and not just income, governments will be able to raise more domestic revenues for funding essential public services that are needed so urgently today.

Groups based in the Philippines calling for a wealth tax are advocating for one of the most direct ways to stem inequality by reversing the highly regressive tax system that governments across Asia have long depended on to sustain basic public services. Regressive taxes such as Value-Added Tax (VAT) and excise taxes have long been known to hit those with smaller incomes harder, and have thus helped to widen the gap between poor and rich, women and men, marginalized sectors and influential elites.

Read the full press release here.

August 24, 2022
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APMDD Statement on International Youth Day

By Global Inequalities

A statement of solidarity with the youth of Asia and beyond in their struggle to end inequalities and fight for just, equitable, fair societies compatible with a healthy planet. The statement calls for an end to abusive tax practices and illicit financial flows and demands that governments adopt progressive tax policies to increase capacities for generating revenue. Furthermore, it demands that governments take urgent and decisive actions for pro-youth and pro-people socio-economic development.

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August 12, 2022
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Indigenous women’s voices should be heard in all W20 G20 negotiations

By Campaign, Indonesia

Outside the W20 Summit, on July 20, indigenous Toba women and a number of activists unfurled a giant banner that read “Women of North Sumatra Against Deforestation” on Lake Toba and a number of action posters on the boat. The action was a protest against the discussions at the W20 meeting that did not address the problem of economic injustice experienced by Indonesian women, especially indigenous women. This meeting was actually held only to produce policies that would benefit the country’s economic and political elites, corporations and international financial institutions, and not to discuss the real interests of the people.

Among other media coverage, Narasi, an online media outlet responded with a comprehensive video of the story and interviewed Aksi! and its partner KSPPM.

Read more (in Bahasa)

July 21, 2022
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Interview to Safai Karmachari Andolan’s director Bezwada Wilson

By India

On 30 March 2022, Safai Karmachari Andolan’s director Bezwada Wilson was interviewed by the Indian TV channel Mirror Now.

“People feel bad for few minutes and later everybody forgets and move on. We shouldn’t keep quite anymore.”
(Click here to watch the video)

“We have no idea whether to collect, manage or dispose the garbage. We are throwing sewage water everyday in Yamuna, without even treating it.”
(Click here to watch the video)

March 31, 2022
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Women from all walks of life walk together and call out for change

By Campaign, Events, Indonesia

“Hopefully it [our calls for change] will contribute to the G20 agenda so that the impoverishment of Indonesian women can be addressed.” 

Indonesian women from various backgrounds – from farmers to street vendors to migrant workers – came together for a series of events in March 2022 to address the inequalities they face in their daily lives. After a series of consultations and a strategy meeting, a set of 9 demands was drawn up which represented the common priority concerns of these women. These demands were released during a press conference on International Women’s Day, and a demonstration on the beaches of Bali helped draw further attention to the demands.

As a result of these activities and the sense of solidarity and sisterhood established through the process, the women decided to form a network of women for gender and economic justice, dubbed “P23+ Network”. The network is committed to working together to pursue the nine demands formulated together.

Read more here.

March 18, 2022
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What’s in store for the Dalit-Adivasi Budget 2022-23

By India

The year 2021 has been a challenging year where hundreds of citizens lost their lives while the country’s health care system succumbed to Covid-19’s second wave. India was gasping for oxygen amidst an out of control unavailability and a crisis of health care facilities. Patients died outside hospitals waiting for beds if at all they had the opportunity to reach there before they lost their battles to Covid-19. However, amidst the global pandemic, while even the most socio-economically privileged section was struggling, how did Dalits and Adivasis manage to support their livelihood and survival?

In Dalit and Adivasi households, especially in villages, the infrastructure required for proper isolation is a luxury. In several states, the isolation camps set up by the government were made inaccessible to Dalits and Adivasis as the dominant castes did not want to share a common space with them, highlighting the broadened caste divide. The hospital bed charges were record high and the poor marginalised communities could not even imagine getting one. Even having access to sanitiser and masks was a distant reality. This is one of the countless forms of discrimination faced by marginalised communities during the pandemic. The crematorium workers, sanitation workers and frontline workers worked ten times more and still were thrown pennies at.

Against this background, the Finance Minister presented the Union Budget 2022 which was expected to take some of these concerns on hand, but it was rather a lack lustre budget. The total allocation for SCs under the Allocation of the Welfare of the SCs (AWSC) is Rs. 1,42,342 Crs and for STs under the Allocation of the Welfare of the STs (AWST) is Rs. 89,265 Crs. The budget revealed the deficiencies in their policies and lack of political commitment to uplift the Dalit and Adivasi communities. When one looks at the quantum and quality of schemes, there is not a single innovative scheme to address the pandemic and the impact of this on the communities.

Read the full version

February 2, 2022
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On the need for attention to Safai Karmacharis within Dalit literature

By India

Omprakash Valmiki had written ‘Aesthetics of Dalit Literature’ to answer those upper caste critics who pointed out the lack of craftsmanship in Dalit literature. Among his stories, ‘Amma’, ‘Biram Ki Bahu’, ‘Salaam’, ‘Pachis Chauke Dedh Sau’ etc. are remarkable stories. Apart from being a writer, Omprakash Valmiki was also a playwright and actor and theater director.

Read the full article

November 20, 2021
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G20-Proposed 15% global minimum corporate tax rate to give more benefits to corporations, more undue burden on the poor

By Global Inequalities

Lidy Nacpil of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (center) presses for new tax rules to be negotiated in a proposed United Nations Tax Body. Labor Leader Ka Leody De Guzman (left) calls for the scrapping of VAT and institution of a wealth tax in the country. Sanlakas Secretary General, Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, moderated the press conference.

The Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) today slammed the 15% minimum global corporate tax rate jointly proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), G7, and G20, calling it the “tax deal of the rich” and instead called for the creation of a tax body under the United Nations (UN).

“Under the guise of, or pretending to be helpful as part of COVID-19 and multiple crises responses, the OECD, which is the organization of 37 wealthiest countries in the world, in collusion with the G7 and G20, are now putting forward and promoting a tax deal that will actually result in more benefits for corporations and governments of wealthy countries rather than the Global South,” APMDD coordinator Lidy Nacpil said.

“We are taking this occasion to express our rejection because in a few hours, the G20 will be convening its summit, and this is an important time to raise our voices,” she added.

Read the full press release.

October 30, 2021
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