Gosh, how nice. The Miami ‘sale of passports’ conference has a ‘partners programme’ for WAGs
I say WAGs because these ‘partners programmes’ are always for women. Husbands and boyfriends of conference participants tend not to go along for the ride but stay home and do whatever it is they usually do, like work.
And even if they go along, they stay independent and do a bit of sightseeing on their own, rather than joining the helpless women who are incapable of doing anything alone and must be organised into activities.
But anyway – we can conclude that our very own WAGs will be packing their suitcases and preparing their Miami wardrobes already. It’s off to Florida for Mama Michelle and her state-paid lady’s maid, Pamela Seychell, seconded from the Inland Revenue office in Merchants Street.
Will the Infantas of Castile be taken out of school yet again and carted along too, so that they can make the most of these five years even though the poor things haven’t a clue what is going on?
Mama Michelle is going to be in bling handbag heaven. Sorry, havvin.
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Sorry to bother you and your readers again about Konrad Mizzi’s gas power station, but can someone reconcile these two arguments and answer my questions?
1. Argument made by Minister Konrad Mizzi in a press conference on Sunday 13 October 2013 and reported by one section of the media:
“Price of energy to be announced later on
Dr Mizzi said that the price at which the consortium will sell electricity to Enemalta will be announced later on, after the appeals period closes. However he insisted that the rates were very advantageous. The contract will be signed as soon as the consortium gets hold of the required finances.”
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-10-13/news/announcement-on-delimara-power-station-preferred-bidder-imminent-2872508420/
2. Statement made by Gasol plc, through Equity Development – a UK independent investment research company – on a document published on Gasol’s website on 14 October 2013 but later withdrawn. Gasol is a listed company on the London Stock Exchange Aim and therefore declarations like these carry a lot of weight:
“The concession will be on a build-own-operate-transfer (‘BOOT’) basis, over an 18 year life. There are three essential elements to this:
– Provision of a Floating Storage Unit (‘FSU’).
– Development and operation of a 200MW independent power producer (‘IPP’).
– Supply of gas.
The first of these is covered by the preferred bidder status, as is part of the second. In simple terms, Electrogas commits to provision of the FSU and build of the power plant, and is guaranteed return of capex whether or not the plant is ever used or gas supplied – an unlikely event. The remainder is subject to detailed negotiation prior to final completion of the concession.
Anticipated cost is €370m, which is expected to be financed approximately 80% by debt and 20% by equity. The banks mandated by the consortium are BNP Paribas, HSBC, the German state-owned KfW and Bank of Valletta.”
Questions:
1. Has the price of the supply of power to Enemalta by Electrogas been finalised and is “very advantageous,” or is it still “subject to detailed negotiation prior to final completion of the concession”?
2. Is the consortium still to “get hold” of “the required finances,” and this is holding the signing of the contract, or has the consortium already “mandated” “BNP Paribas, HSBC, the German state-owned KfW and Bank of Valletta” to provide the 80% of finance?
So, is the contract awaiting the consortium to “get hold” of “the required finances,” or is the contract awaiting “detailed negotiation” about the supply of gas?
What a sad and sorry lot!
Ysabel (bolsas) of Castile, the Infantas, together with Pamela, the Camarera Mayor and with Joey in tow are all set to survey the land of plenty discovered by their protege’ Colon.
The usual sequito will be in attendance.
A visit to Disney World Resort is de rigueur.
Ahleb Dward.
Well, Kermit Lewis can always be the tour leader at Disney World Resort. Pity Sigg Luna will not be going.
Surely the partners programme for WAGs comes at a price.
Would a code of ethics for parliamentarians (of course including the speaker, ministers and the prime minister) express itself on the size, nature and financing (state or personal financing) of the accompanying cortege on official visits?
Had this been a private business and had I been its tax advisor, travel expenses incurred in respect of wives, children and ladies-in-waiting would not be considered as a business expense, given that these are not expenses incurred wholly and exclusively in the production of income.
In the case of government, personal trips should either be at the expense of the person in question or if these expenses are in fact paid for by the state, then the respective minister or prime minister should be taxed on the benefit that is being afforded to him.
This however may not seem to be the case aboard our ship of state, where some animals are clearly more equal than others and where our tax compliance unit, simply turns a blind face (eye) knowing that should any officer within the department raising these issues, he will probably have his head served on a plate (even if this is solely a transfer notice!)