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True, but he has a point. All the work that adds value is done in the UK and it's designed to evade local taxes. The article even mentions that safety relevant
by dx034 10y ago
True, but he has a point. All the work that adds value is done in the UK and it's designed to evade local taxes.
The article even mentions that safety relevant steps are performed in the UK, as if this wasn't possible in developing countries. How is a country supposed to develop a well functioning industry if they are only trusted with an IKEA-like manual?
If the UN buys this vehicle it's basically just rich states subsidizing a company in a rich state. The local economy loses out. This is how most aid projects worked in the last decades and it obviously hasn't really helped.
The intentions are good, but this won't help developing countries more than just importing old used European/American cars.
- neoCrimeLabs 10y agoEven if the trucks themselves don't end up being helpful in the long run, I suspect some of the manufacturing techniques used will reappear in future developments.
- allengeorge 10y agoYou don't have to do everything in a local economy to unlock value. The majority of vehicles in developing countries aren't manufactured locally, but their presence makes other lines of business possible. It might even provide impetus for civil society to improve infrastructure that...(hopefully!) pushes that country up the value chain.