India owes £5 million to London government but refuses to pay it

[Hindustani78]

The debt owed by the Indian high commission as of March 31, 2017, was £5,098,765 - the fifth highest on the list of defaulters.(hcilondon.in)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...s-to-pay-it/story-Hbu7VzqxSMK11x8mKuyEZP.html


For the first time, dues owed by the Indian high commission as part of London’s congestion charge – mandatory for all vehicles moving in a zone marked “C” – have crossed £5 million.

For the first time, dues owed by the Indian high commission as part of London’s congestion charge – mandatory for all vehicles moving in a zone marked “C” – have crossed £5 million. It is one of a list of foreign mission defaulters topped by the United States embassy.

A spokesman for Transport for London (TfL) – the local government body responsible for transport in Greater London – told Hindustan Times on Monday that the debt owed by the Indian high commission as of March 31, 2017, was £5,098,765 - the fifth highest on the list.

Every vehicle entering the “C” zone in central London needs to pay £11.50 per day from Monday to Friday between 7 am and 6 pm (some emergency vehicles are exempted) as part of the congestion charge introduced in 2003 to raise funds to improve the transport infrastructure.

The US embassy owes over £11 million. The other four in the top five defaulters are Japan, Nigeria, Russia and India. In total, foreign missions based in London owe over £106 million to TfL.

The key point of dispute is whether the ‘congestion charge’ is a charge for a service or a tax. TfL officials insist it is a “charge” for a service and not a tax, while India and other foreign missions believe it is a tax, which they are exempt from paying under the Vienna Convention.

An Indian high commission spokesperson said: “We believe that the congestion charge imposed by the UK authorities was not a service charge but a tax, which should be exempted under the Vienna Convention and therefore the Indian high commission, like several diplomatic missions in London, do not pay the congestion charge.”

However, the TfL spokesman said: “We and the UK Government are clear that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it.”

“Around three quarters of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels. We will continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices and are pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice,” he added.

During former US President Barack Obama’s visit to London in May 2011, his cavalcade was fined £120 for not paying the congestion charge.

 

[Jlaw]

Is india so poor they cannot afford 5m Pound?

 

[Salim_Shady]

Is india so poor they cannot afford 5m Pound?

yes 30% of indians are poor. we like to bluff otherwise. now move along.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Is india so poor they cannot afford 5m Pound?

See Below:

The US embassy owes over £11 million. The other four in the top five defaulters are Japan, Nigeria, Russia and India. In total, foreign missions based in London owe over £106 million to TfL.

 

[Steve781]

Congestion charge is bullshit.

 

[SabzShaheen]

Congestion charge is bullshit.

How comes? I am not-too-well educated on the matter but I believe it is a good way to decrease CO2 emissions in London and earn some money while doing it.

 

[oFFbEAT]

The dispute is whether the charge is a service charge or tax, but whatever it is, the charge is too much, £11.50 per day from 7am to 6pm....close to 1000 INR per day.

Anyway, I learnt that vehicles of alternative fuel are exempted from the charge, the govt. should provide the diplomats with such vehicles instead of the regular ones, I think the switchover will be less costly in the long run than paying £5 million.....

 

[Jlaw]

See Below:

The difference is UK is ally of US. India us not.

 

[NirmalKrish]

The debt owed by the Indian high commission as of March 31, 2017, was £5,098,765 - the fifth highest on the list of defaulters.(hcilondon.in)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...s-to-pay-it/story-Hbu7VzqxSMK11x8mKuyEZP.html


For the first time, dues owed by the Indian high commission as part of London’s congestion charge – mandatory for all vehicles moving in a zone marked “C” – have crossed £5 million.

For the first time, dues owed by the Indian high commission as part of London’s congestion charge – mandatory for all vehicles moving in a zone marked “C” – have crossed £5 million. It is one of a list of foreign mission defaulters topped by the United States embassy.

A spokesman for Transport for London (TfL) – the local government body responsible for transport in Greater London – told Hindustan Times on Monday that the debt owed by the Indian high commission as of March 31, 2017, was £5,098,765 - the fifth highest on the list.

Every vehicle entering the “C” zone in central London needs to pay £11.50 per day from Monday to Friday between 7 am and 6 pm (some emergency vehicles are exempted) as part of the congestion charge introduced in 2003 to raise funds to improve the transport infrastructure.

The US embassy owes over £11 million. The other four in the top five defaulters are Japan, Nigeria, Russia and India. In total, foreign missions based in London owe over £106 million to TfL.

The key point of dispute is whether the ‘congestion charge’ is a charge for a service or a tax. TfL officials insist it is a “charge” for a service and not a tax, while India and other foreign missions believe it is a tax, which they are exempt from paying under the Vienna Convention.

An Indian high commission spokesperson said: “We believe that the congestion charge imposed by the UK authorities was not a service charge but a tax, which should be exempted under the Vienna Convention and therefore the Indian high commission, like several diplomatic missions in London, do not pay the congestion charge.”

However, the TfL spokesman said: “We and the UK Government are clear that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it.”

“Around three quarters of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels. We will continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices and are pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice,” he added.

During former US President Barack Obama’s visit to London in May 2011, his cavalcade was fined £120 for not paying the congestion charge.

The UK owes India the koohinoor and other gems & artifacts that was stolen from India, which is next to priceless from a dollar perspective.

The 5 mil pound is peanuts compared to this, furthermore its a bs charge!

 

[Hellfire]

Is india so poor they cannot afford 5m Pound?

So are Japanese, US, Russians.

Poverty is rampant the world over. Only China has the funds .. Be happy

The difference is UK is ally of US. India us not.

And the difference is that India is a market for post-EU UK. The logic being?

The UK owes India the koohinoor and other gems & artifacts that was stolen from India, which is next to priceless from a dollar perspective.

The 5 mil pound is peanuts compared to this, furthermore its a bs charge!

Don't loose your sovereignty then. That is a lame excuse. Why not invade Iran then? The Peacock Throne is there.

Pakistan will be glad to join in and Saudis will be ecstatic with India becoming a BFF!

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...crew-s-dues/story-H1DrhWgd3NLroPCj0dzMLN.html

Malaviya Seven, a platform supply vessel owned by the Mumbai-based GOL Offshore and detained off the port city of Aberdeen, Scotland, faces the prospect of being sold to recover dues of its 36-member Indian crew amounting to over $650,000.

The vessel operating under the India flag has been arrested by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and detained by the United Kingdom’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Many of its crew members have been on board the vessel for over a year, facing financial difficulties.

Earlier this year, the Theresa May government enforced the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act to allow law enforcement officers to board and search vessels, seize evidence and arrest offenders where it is suspected that modern slavery is taking place.

Detained since October 5, 2016, Malaviya Seven failed MCA's port state control inspection on five counts: calculation and payment of wages (no records), seafarers employment agreement (invalid), wages (missing), fire pumps and pipes (not as required), and fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions (not as required).

An ITF spokesman told Hindustan Times: “The arrest warrant was served on the company in India last month. The legal process allows the company 42 days to respond to the court with their intentions regarding the arrest of the vessel, and we then request a hearing and apply for the sale.”

“Twelve Indian nationals are left on board the vessel; some have been on board over 12 months and all crew on board are part of the arrest, plus 24 off-signed crew listed in the arrest writ. In total 36 seafarers are owed wages going back to Jan 16 in excess of $650,000”.

ITF inspector Liam Wilson, who has been assisting the Indian crew, said: “We’ve been helping these men since the beginning, particularly with their basic needs such as food and water, while working to recover the money that is due to them”.

Some crew members attended Easter Vigil Mass last month in St Peter’s Church in Aberdeen.

Wilson added: “We have reached a point where the only way that these men are going to get home with the money they are due is to help them arrest the ship, and we have now taken that move. We anticipate that…the ship will be sold and what is owed to them recovered from the sale price”.

ITF UK and Ireland coordinator Ken Fleming said: “To say that workers are owed $666,938.03 is in itself a scandal. The owners and the Indian flag state should hang their head in shame. Equally all those that could have brought the situation to an end months ago should reflect on their inactivity”.

Established in 1983, the Mumbai-based GOL Offshore describes itself as “India's prominent integrated offshore oilfield services provider offering a broad spectrum of services to upstream oil and gas producers to carry out offshore exploration and production (E&P) activities”.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://zeenews.india.com/india/india-sets-out-to-light-up-uk-with-100-mn-led-bulbs-2004916.html

London: Around 100 million incandescent and CFL bulbs in the United Kingdom will be replaced by LED bulbs of EESL by March 2019, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday.

The Indian government will draw up a "very smart" strategy to achieve the target, including tie-ups with large corporates.

"Today, we have set up a target of replacing 100 million bulbs in the UK with LEDs. It is a very ambitious target. It is a mind-boggling number... That 100 million bulbs in London will be sold in a foreign country, in a foreign land," the minister said.

The minister was speaking during the launch of?Energy Efficiency Services Ltd's (EESL) affordable lighting scheme in the UK.

For the company, this will truly be a "very very big challenge".

"I already had conversation with my colleagues of EESL and has given some ground realities and guidance. One is they should tie up with large corporates that have immediately seen benefits of energy saving and we will target Indian companies like the Tatas and other companies which have invested in India and helped create so much value and?business and jobs in the UK," he said.

EESL is a joint venture among four central PSUs - NTPC, PowerGrid, REC and PFC - and under the administrative control of the power ministry.

???"We are reaching out to the supermarket for discoms for selling the bulbs," the minister said. "We are thinking of expanding our set-up here and talking to large users. We can talk to all the supermarket chains."

With zero cost and zero investment mode, he is optimistic that more people will go for it.

The minister sees a big business opportunity in London, which can become a base for foraying into the rest of Europe.

Goyal also spoke of a favourable business response to EESL by Austria.

India has so far replaced 560 old incandescent bulbs by LED bulbs. The minister hinted at a need for rechristening EESL.

Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal, who was present during the launch, announced that every bulb of all the units of his group will be replaced by LED bulbs.

EESL aims to replace 77 crore incandescent bulbs in the residential sector throughout the country by 2019.

 

[Logicaldude]

The difference is UK is ally of US. India us not.

All the reason for us to not pay, eh high IQ master?

 

[Fledgingwings]

They sucked upon the subcontinents resources for 150 years.thats more than enough.India should give them the round finger instead.

 

[Vigneshwara]

This is heights of hatred, the person who posted the article just because it mentioned India, he did not see even the US, Japan and russia is mentioned in the article, pakistanis will beat north koreans in hatred towards their neighbor.