"Foreign military personnel eligible for half-price booze at LCBO"

[The Bread Guy]

This from the Toronto Star:

Foreign military personnel are entitled to half-price booze at the LCBO, the Star has learned.

It’s the latest revelation on the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s little-known discount programs.

According to LCBO records, some 181 officers and enlisted men and women from other countries on official duty in Canada can walk into specific locations and pay 49 per cent of what everyone else in Ontario does.

Ken Rubin, an Ottawa-based investigative researcher and a leading access-to-information activist, obtained details on the discount through provincial freedom-of-information legislation and shared them with the Star.

The documents show that over a six-year period beginning 2007-08, foreign military personnel assigned to temporary duties in Canada saved almost $850,000 from their booze purchases, which was lost revenue for the LCBO and, in turn, less money for the province.

“LCBO is obligated to provide the discount, pursuant to the Visiting Forces and Visiting Forces Personnel Alcoholic Beverages Remission Order, a regulation under the Federal government’s Administration Act,” the LCBO stated in an email to the Star.

The rules, however, appear to vary according to jurisdiction.

British Columbia, for example, offers what it calls a “comparable” discount. But BC Liquor Distribution Branch spokeswoman April Kemick said “the reduced rate for visiting military personnel is applied very rarely in B.C.

“Last year, there were only 13 customers that placed orders under this reduced rate,” she added ....

 

[Tibbson]

I spent two years overseas at one of our Embassies and I had access to all sorts of discounts and duty free entitlements.  I wasn't even a diplomat either.  I don't think any of these "programs" are much different from what Cdn service members get to take advantage of while out of the country in many cases. 

 

[dimsum]

I spent two years overseas at one of our Embassies and I had access to all sorts of discounts and duty free entitlements.  I wasn't even a diplomat either.  I don't think any of these "programs" are much different from what Cdn service members get to take advantage of while out of the country in many cases.

Of *course* I find out that CF members can get cheap booze overseas when I'm weeks away from posting back to Canada. 

 

[Loachman]

When I was posted to 427 Squadron from 1982 to 1986, the six British exchange Officers in Petawawa were entitled to a certain allotment of alcohol monthly, duty-free, under the Status of Forces Agreement. They purchased their entitlement, of course, from the LCBO. The "discount" then, and I doubt that it has changed, was simply the amount of the federal and provincial taxes on alcohol, from which they were exempt. That was a decades-old agreement.

When I was in Norway (twice) in 1983, under the Status of Forces Agreement between the two Governments, we were entitled to one tax-and-duty-free forty-ounce bottle of liquor per man per week, and one to bring home. We were not allowed to share any of this with any Norwegians, by Norwegian law.

When I was posted to 444 Squadron in Germany from 1986 to 1989, we were exempt from all German taxes, under the Status of Forces Agreement, as were members and dependents of all other Allied contingents in Germany. Most people bought most of their stuff at the Canex, US PX, or other equivalent shops of other Allied contingents in Germany. There was no tax whatsoever applied to those purchases, including alcohol, which, as a result, was incredibly cheap. Any purchases that we made on the German economy were also free of the German Merhwerthsteuer, or sales tax. There was an administrative fee and process to do so, so it was only worthwhile on major purchases.

I am surprised to learn that there are "13 customers that placed orders under this reduced rate" in BC. I'd not have guessed that there were that many exchange personnel in that province.

It's taken the Star and this "activist" decades to uncover this "outrage"...

They'll likely twig to similar Embassy Staff "discounts" in another few years.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I was posted overseas several times, in several different countries; the applicable Status of Forces Agreements always provided me with various essentials and many luxuries at much, much lower prices that were paid by the locals, that even included food and automobiles.

This is a non-story.

 

[George Wallace]

When I was in Norway (twice) in 1983, under the Status of Forces Agreement between the two Governments, we were entitled to one tax-and-duty-free forty-ounce bottle of liquor per man per week, and one to bring home. We were not allowed to share any of this with any Norwegians, by Norwegian law.

When I was posted to 444 Squadron in Germany from 1986 to 1989, we were exempt from all German taxes, under the Status of Forces Agreement, as were members and dependents of all other Allied contingents in Germany. Most people bought most of their stuff at the Canex, US PX, or other equivalent shops of other Allied contingents in Germany. There was no tax whatsoever applied to those purchases, including alcohol, which, as a result, was incredibly cheap. Any purchases that we made on the German economy were also free of the German Merhwerthsteuer, or sales tax. There was an administrative fee and process to do so, so it was only worthwhile on major purchases.

At the same time, purchasing liquor at the German liquor outlets and grocery stores was not that expensive, even without any form of exemption.

It's taken the Star and this "activist" decades to uncover this "outrage"...

They'll likely twig to similar Embassy Staff "discounts" in another few years.

Perhaps this is one of those "Slow News Day Fillers" that they needed to fill a blank space on a page.  As for activists; there is always someone who feels wrong done by who has to raise a petty concern due to their sense of entitlement, not thinking that someone may have an entitlement they are not entitled to.......Damn Communists.  >

 

[Loachman]

At the same time, purchasing liquor at the German liquor outlets and grocery stores was not that expensive, even without any form of exemption.

No, not that I recall - certainly the wine and beer were not.

 

[George Wallace]

No, not that I recall - certainly the wine and beer were not.

2.50 DM for 500 ml of beer in the Taverne was much more than what bottled beer was in the store.......In my days, that was about 1.25 Cdn.  Sure beat what we paid in Canada for 350 ml in a bar; not only in price, but quality.... ;D

 

[captloadie]

When I ws on OJT in North Bay, one of the Americans posted there played on the Base Softball team with us. When we went to regionals, the first stop was the LCBO, where we used his entire monthly allocation to stock up our hydration stores. I think the entitlement was $240 tax/duty free which worked out to 15-20 two-fours.

 

[Loachman]

2.50 DM for 500 ml of beer in the Taverne was much more than what bottled beer was in the store.......In my days, that was about 1.25 Cdn.  Sure beat what we paid in Canada for 350 ml in a bar; not only in price, but quality.... ;D

About $0.75ish for a half-litre bottle of Weizenbier in the Edeka across the laneway from my apartment.

 

[Blackadder1916]

The documents show that over a six-year period beginning 2007-08, foreign military personnel assigned to temporary duties in Canada saved almost $850,000 from their booze purchases, which was lost revenue for the LCBO and, in turn, less money for the province.

“LCBO is obligated to provide the discount, pursuant to the Visiting Forces and Visiting Forces Personnel Alcoholic Beverages Remission Order, a regulation under the Federal government’s Administration Act,” the LCBO stated in an email to the Star.

I call bullshit . . . or at least poor reporting.  A quick perusal of the Order quoted indicates that this involves only the federally imposed and collected duties and taxes.  Since these amounts are collected prior to retail sale by the feds all it means is that the province LCBO submits a claim for remission of the amounts not collected from visiting forces.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SI-85-122/FullText.html

REMISSION

3. (1) Subject to section 4, remission is granted of the customs duties and additional duties equal to excise duties imposed under the Customs Tariff that are paid or payable by a liquor board and of the taxes imposed under Part IX of the Excise Tax Act in respect of spirits, wine or imported beer sold to visiting forces or visiting forces personnel.

(2) Subject to section 4, remission is granted of the excise duties imposed under the Excise Act, 2001 that are paid or payable on or after July 1, 2003 by a liquor board in respect of spirits or wine sold to visiting forces or visiting forces personnel.

(3) Subject to section 4, remission is granted of the excise duties imposed under the Excise Act that are paid or payable by a brewer licensed under that Act and of the taxes imposed under Part IX of the Excise Tax Act in respect of beer brewed in Canada and sold to visiting forces or visiting forces personnel.

CONDITIONS

4. Remission is granted on condition that

(a) the purchase price that is paid or payable by visiting forces or visiting forces personnel for alcoholic beverages does not include any amount for the duties or taxes referred to in section 3, or, where the purchase price paid or payable does include an amount for those duties or taxes, that amount is reimbursed or credited to the visiting forces or visiting forces personnel; and

(b) a claim for remission is made by a liquor board or a brewer licensed under the Excise Act to the Minister of National Revenue or to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, as appropriate, and is supported by documentary evidence or other information as may be required for the administration of this Order, including

(i) in the case of visiting forces, a written statement, signed by the unit commander of the visiting forces or a person authorized by him, stating that the alcoholic beverages purchased are for the sole use of the visiting forces or for resale to visiting forces personnel, and

(ii) in the case of visiting forces personnel, a written statement, signed by the member of the visiting forces making the purchase, stating that the alcoholic beverages purchased are for consumption by visiting forces personnel and will not be resold, given as a gift or otherwise distributed.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

BlackAdder, next you be expecting Journalists to be able to read, look up laws and learn to use Google, sheesh