Archive for the ‘EU economics’ Category
So the British are increasing the international departure tax, and stating that it is an “externality tax”. What spectacularly wrong-headed logic.
The externality they are talking about is “carbon emissions” – now as long as they tax the fuel that airlines use the externality is accounted for, as the carbon emissions stem from fuel use. Adding a tax on top of an efficient externality tax is not efficient.
The real reason the British government is doing this is straight out protectionism – they believe that the impact on “outflows” from Britain will exceed the impact on tourist “inflows”, a factor that would improve net exports and help to “protect” the retail industry in Britain. Beyond this, the increase in tax is also a simple tax grab – one that taxes tourist industries the rest of the world over.
Cross-country cash rates
Posted on: August 13, 2008
In the Financial Times, Martin Feldstein wrote about the difference between the EU and US monetary setting regimes – specifically he wanted to answer why the EU was lifting rates, while the US had been cutting. (ht Greg Mankiw).
Ultimately, he puts this difference down to a number of factors:
agnitio
cpworthington
dant03
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metrosideros
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Matt Nolan
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