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"DrJohn":3qa6s8d0 wrote: Could I ask that someone (better than me!) pen a brief article (similar to what Séan has posted in the Members area regarding pre-budget submission) to our home page? I have been thinking that if anyone is wondering where Beoir stands on the issue of the so-called Lid Levy, they should see that when they land on our site. Any thoughts?[/quote:3qa6s8d0]I was considering this but my thought is: this isn't government policy, this is just a proposal from the publicans. The chances are this will be in the weekend papers and forgotten about by Monday -- that's the way of pre-budget submissions. If it looks like it has legs then I think we should be a bit more formal in responding to it, but I don't think it helps if we make a big deal of reacting negatively to it now. The publicans have a right to make their proposal, and TBH I think most people can see it for what it is without us needing to point it out on our website.

But highlighting it on Facebook, Twitter etc: that's fair game. The PR firm has helpfully provided the #LidLevy hashtag. Let's use it.

Edit: link now posted to Facebook.

[quote:3prxiuow]Latest News: Quarter of a Billion Euro can be generated by Targeting Off-Trade[/quote:3prxiuow]

Forget the fact that this going to raise the cost of your favourite, and possibly not pub-available, tipple - that's a fairly aggressive kick against a closely related industry and an unashamed piece of would be protectionism.

[quote:3prxiuow]The LVA/VFI are proposing a 15% “Lid Levy” on all unopened alcohol products sold in the off-trade. It goes a long way to protect the employment intensive on-trade sector and [b:3prxiuow]50,000 associated jobs[/b:3prxiuow].[/quote:3prxiuow]

On one level, this reminds me of Tom Parlon's attempts as head of the CIF to persuade our last government to "unlock" VAT locked up in unsold new houses.

It reminds me of Ron's recent commentary[/url:3prxiuow]on class discrimination in the application of laws in relation to alcohol along class lines in the UK. I don't see this being applied to wine somehow.

It also strikes me as pretty sad that the VFI & LVA can't think of better ways to promote their members' businesses.

"mr happy":pup7behh wrote: I don't see this being applied to wine somehow.[/quote:pup7behh]I think they know it has to, but they've kept it out of the presentation, hence it's a "lid" levy, not a cork levy. Was "ringpull levy" considered? From what I saw of the PowerPoint slides, it was illustrated with crown caps.

"mr happy":pup7behh wrote: It also strikes me as pretty sad that the VFI & LVA can't think of better ways to promote their members' businesses.[/quote:pup7behh]Totally. Massive resources, and this is the best they can manage.

Spoke to the President of NOFLA and he says it doesn't stand a chance of passing any of the European laws in regards to fair trading.

The irony is that a 'pump tax' would have far more chance of succeeding as a revenue generation exercise than a lid tax. Mostly everyone in Ireland who drinks has a car and the ability to drive to Newry / Derry and 'fill their boots', wheras you cant (legally) drive to the border and stock up on draught.

I trust the Irish government enough to realise that further raises in off trade will just lose them income to the UK exchequer.

sainsburys and asda must be praying for this