Nigeria To Tax "Donated" Used Computer Imports
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 8.08
Maybe it's time to stop giving tax write offs for "educational donations" of computers and peripherals (a.k.a. closet fill). That would stem the tide of toxic electronic junk headed toward developing nations under the guise of being "for educational purposes". This is far worse than poorly rationalized expiation of guilt via purchase of carbon offsets.
Nigeria is to introduce import duties to stem the influx of substandard and unserviceable computers, electrical and electronic appliances posing health and environmental hazards in the country.Nigerians are becoming increasingly fed up with what experts have described as "junk" imported second-hand computers, electrical appliances and cell phones which are flooding Africa's most populous country from Europe, Asia and the United States.
Reminder to self: don't be so absorbed in climate change issues that other priorities are forgotten. We in the west must find better ways to assign consumer and producer responsibility.
Via::Yahoo News, LAGOS (AFP), "Nigeria to impose import duties to stem influx of junk PCs" Image credit::ibid
When I went to Nigeria, they already had computers everywhere that were nicer than the one in the photograph. I'm glad they're doing something about it because it's a beautiful country and I'd hate to see our trash over there.
From what I understand a lot of countries do something like this already not always to the benefit of consumers. When I was a grad student (circa 2002-2003), the computer lab at my school was upgrading some of its rather nice and fairly new IBM desktop computers equipped with a decent sized flat screen. It considered donating them abroad, but the costs were prohibitively expensive.
Laws like this are great on their surface, but customs officials are often rather liberal with so called duties. Often non-profits and other folks doing good work & not delivering "junk", get screwed over. I say this as a few good friends have a shipping container full of equipment & meds baking in the hot sun in Haiti because the customs duties well exceed the reasonable and what they can afford.