19 August
The plan to install a duty-free zone in Gibraltar to compete against Gibraltar is going ahead, with the signing of the relevant documents to take place this coming Monday.
Jorge Ramos, who heads the duty-free schemes for Cadiz province, says that what is planned for La Linea is similar to what has already been got going in Algeciras and Los Barrios.
"The idea is to have in La Linea all the necessary instruments to compete with Gibraltar, so that there is equality of conditions and that the flow of activities and commerce will be in two directions and not as at present, which is one way," said Ramos.
19-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Unsolved supermarket mysteries
August 19, 2015 | By Carmen Gomez
Have you ever stopped to look at the payment slip you're handed by the cashier at a supermarket and had a good look at it? Not really, I suppose. I don't have time for that, you might say; I have to get back home and put all the goods away in the fridge, freezer or elsewhere, as soon as possible; I have other things to do straight after that. Well it's an understandable situation for a busy mum, but you really should stop and revise the list, because you may realize that you are overpaying for some goods which you only bought as an after thought, because they were down in price; it was right there in front of you, in black and white.
But then do you really have time to stand in front of customer service, behind others, whilst the person who was attending to the complaint of the person in front of you has left her post to check out the complaint. Why is it that when they offer bargain prices at supermarkets, they don't bother to include them in the computer system for the check out tills? This continues to be a mystery as yet unsolved and a matter of annoyance for both checkout cashier and client.
Biscuits gone missing
There have been times, although not of late, that the person at customer services, has had to accompany you to where you insisted the offer of the sign was, only to find out that the sign was either in a wrong place or that it was meant for a similar tin but with different oil ingredients or some such thing.
Of course if you don't have time to spend on a matter that affects your pocket, you will not have had the time to inspect your box of cracker biscuits and realize, that when you tear open the wrappers on the biscuits which are becoming increasingly harder to break, you find that although the price of the box is the same, you appear to have less numbers of biscuits. For those of you who have bothered to look, you will have noted that the biscuits are not as tightly packed as before, because there are less of them!
The other day after various foiled attempts on different days, I once again went on a search for a packet of mince meat with the label "butchers best." These are trays of mince which although they are more expensive, they contain less fat. Unable to find one, on this occasion, I decided to approach the meat counter and ask if they were still being sold and if so, why were they not out on the shelves. Right enough, the butcher went inside and on coming out produced a packet for me; and I ask myself, surely if the meat is packaged, and there are people who would like to have the choice of buying it, why was it not on the shelf?
When I got my tray I realised that the sell by date was within a day of my purchasing it; so why was this meat not out on the counter, which would have gone off in two days time anyway?
The same happens with the trout. You go on consecutive days to the supermarket and there is no sign of trout. Then one day you suddenly see four trays of packaged trout which carry a sticker telling you they are down in price because they have to be eaten that day! And I ask, where were those trout that did not even show up on the fresh fish counter when I looked on previous days?
The same happened last Christmas with the tiny lobsters on sale. None to be found and suddenly a few appeared, reduced in price with an imminent sale by date. Where were they beforehand, so one could have bought them fresh and been happy to pay the full price for them?
At the bakers counter I always look for mini croissants which I sometimes find and other times they appear to have run out. Having said this however, and this has happened to me on two different occasions. I have politely gone up to the counter to ask if indeed there are any about. On the occasion I have found someone to ask, they have bothered to look for them and lo and behold have produced one or two prepared trays. Again I ask, why were they not out on the shelf when their sale by date was imminent?
Bonus points…
Oh and another thing. Around certain dates of the year, you see big placards hanging up outside the supermarket building which tell you that "they are there working for the people of Gibraltar." Well, I am a regular client and it is not the first time that this has happened. I went to pay my bill which is always over forty pounds and the person at the check out counter asked me after I paid my bill, if I wanted my bonus points as I had bought goods over the required sum which entitled me to them.
Surprised I asked, "Oh, is that a new offer" to which she replied, "no it started three weeks ago but you were probably not eligible and so you didn't get them. Anyway, it's too late now as you have missed out." Excuse me! I explained I had not been told and yes I was entitled. Why wasn't I told about this by a member of the staff of this supermarket that works for the people of Gibraltar?"
Having said all this, and gone through some of the stores unsolved mysteries, I have to also add that the supermarket staff on the floor is always extremely helpful and ready to assist you with a smile. Oh the joys of shopping!
19-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Waste of time and money to get legal opinion on 'innocent passage'
August 19, 2015
Talking point - The Government has obtained a legal opinion about 'innocent passage' as if they didn't know what it means, or as if the Foreign Office doesn't know either.
It gives the impression this has been an exercise to try and show that something is being done when nothing is, in fact, being done, about those dangerous and never ending violations of British sovereignty.
The Foreign Office will do with this piece of paper the same as what the Spaniards do when they receive one paper protest after another.
Anyone who wants to know what 'innocent passage' means all he or she has to do is start reading Section 3 and the other relevant articles of the United Nations convention on the sea - it is as simple and as expeditious as that! In fact, it doesn't cost a penny...
The UN says that, subject to this Convention, ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
EXPLAINED
But this is explained as follows: Passage means navigation through the territorial sea for the purpose of:
(a) traversing that sea without entering internal waters or calling at a roadstead or port facility outside internal waters; or
(b) proceeding to or from internal waters or a call at such roadstead or port facility.
It adds: Passage shall be continuous and expeditious. However, passage includes stopping and anchoring, but only in so far as the same are incidental to ordinary navigation or are rendered necessary by force majeure or distress or for the purpose of rendering assistance to persons, ships or aircraft in danger or distress.
Passage is innocent so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State. Such passage shall take place in conformity with the Convention and with other rules of international law.
PREJUDICIAL
Passage of a foreign ship shall be considered to be prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State if in the territorial sea it engages in any of the following activities:
(a) any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the coastal State, or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations;
(b) any exercise or practice with weapons of any kind;
(c) any act aimed at collecting information to the prejudice of the defence or security of the coastal State;
(d) any act of propaganda aimed at affecting the defence or security of the coastal State;
(e) the launching, landing or taking on board of any aircraft;
(f) the launching, landing or taking on board of any military device;
(g) the loading or unloading of any commodity, currency or person contrary to the customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations of the coastal State;
(h) any act of wilful and serious pollution contrary to this Convention;
(i) any fishing activities;
(j) the carrying out of research or survey activities;
(k) any act aimed at interfering with any systems of communication or any other facilities or installations of the coastal State;
(l) any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage.
MORE EVIDENCE
And there is more evidence to show how wrong the Spanish action against Gibraltar is, and why the Foreign Office should not continue to do nothing effective in defence of Gibraltar, when it is obliged to defend the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in accordance with its Constitutional duties.
As stated at the beginning, there is no need to go through the time-wasting and money-wasting process of asking for a legal opinion because everything is there, black upon white, in the UN convention on the sea.
So, let there be no more attempts at trying to hoodwink the people of Gibraltar. Let those concerned get on with giving effect to their duties and obligations.
19-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
