ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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 Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:04 am Post subject: Iranians make the best Americans |
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I've always thought that the Iranians - optimistic, entrepreneurial and "current seeking", always would make the best Americans. Now I have proof!
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The bazaar turns against Iran's president
By Nazila Fathi
Published: October 13, 2008
TEHRAN: A strike in Iran's traditional bazaars has expanded despite an order by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to suspend a new sales tax that ignited the protest more than a week ago.
The main entrance to the Grand Bazaar in Tehran was closed Sunday, as major traders like carpet and textile merchants joined the jewelers, who had started the strike in Tehran. The strike continued in the traditional bazaars in several other large cities, including Isfahan, where it erupted first on Oct. 4.
In the latest sign of discontent with Ahmadinejad's economic policies, the merchants went on strike to protest being included in the country's first value-added tax, a 3 percent levy on all products except basic commodities like dairy products and bread.
In an effort to persuade the traders to end their strike, Ahmadinejad said last week that the new tax law would be suspended for two months. But the newspaper Sarmayeh reported Sunday that the traders had demanded that the law be permanently revoked.
Bazaars are the backbone of the country's traditional economy. The merchants wield significant power, and this is the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in which they helped overthrow the shah, that merchants have protested on so large a scale.
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Carpet merchants in Tehran's bazaar closed their shops in unison, even though their sales are exempt from the tax. Shutters were lowered, and there was no sign of the usual bustle. Police officers were stationed in the bazaar on Sunday, and despite their request, traders refused to open the shops, said one carpet merchant, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
The few shops that had opened early in the morning were attacked by angry sellers and forced to close.
"Paying taxes is not in the culture of traditional traders," said Behrouz Hady Zonooz, an economics professor in Tehran. "In the meantime, the traders' guilds are powerful, and they can turn an economic demand into a political one."
Last year, Parliament approved the sales tax in an effort to increase the government's revenue and make the traditional trade more transparent.
The government began enforcing the law in late September, at a time when the annual inflation rate was hitting 30 percent and traders were frustrated by a decline in sales. International sanctions were also taking their toll. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/13/mideast/tehran.php |
DD |
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