Italy to add drug trafficking, prostitution to GDP figures

[zetaray]

It is a numbers game to raise GDP. Now they can 'fix' GDP as they can estimate any number they wish. On the bright side, they have a more accurate model to estimate revenue when they raise sales tax.

[Snail2]

Maybe Italians should hand over the government to the mafia . I think the godfathers have a proven record of being able to establish and run prosperous organizations despite all the hardships and difficulties . BTW as I heard many Italian politicians are connected the mob. Do they really need a middleman?  

[sana8410]

Good to see that the EU economy is doing so very well. Makes you wonder what all that fuss was about last year.

 

The EU economy is not doing well. Many of the member states such as Spain, Greece, Italy and Cyprus are close to collapse (we can add France, Portugal, Belgium.etc to the list very soon). Only Germany is performing well right now.

Is a metaphor. Europe is in its worst crisis since World War II—one which threatens to destroy it. Millions are unemployed, with little hope of a job. And millions of jobs are at risk. The existence of the European Union hangs in the balance.

[sana8410]

Good to see that the EU economy is doing so very well. Makes you wonder what all that fuss was about last year.

 

The EU economy is not doing well. Many of the member states such as Spain, Greece, Italy and Cyprus are close to collapse (we can add France, Portugal, Belgium.etc to the list very soon). Only Germany is performing well right now.

Fought WW2 to stop German conquest of Europe but they still did it after the war with EU.

Without EU most countries would be better off and Germans poorer

Germans will never be poor thanks to their productive mentality (as opposed to the financial scam-economy other countries have adopted). They lost two world wars and had to take over a bankrupt East Germany after the fall of communism and they're at the top again. I don't think this is thanks to the EU, even though now they do take advantage of their dominant position to make that gap even larger.

Currently Germany is one of the most powerful countries in the world, I think it has the fourth largest economy. It has a strong industrial base, is scientifically amongst the best in the world and is one of the key countries in the European Union. I can't remember who said this but a comedian did a joke about English people who chant "Two world wars and one world cup" to German people, to show how England is better, and he responded by saying, "Yes, but there was a stunning comeback in the later stages of the twentieth century leading to a richer, stronger and happier country."

[stompix]

First , it's not about Italy , it's about the entire European Nation.

I should have known how the article is misleading when I realize I was reading RT.
There was an announcement like this one month ago :

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-26957683

Longer version about what's being done in italy here:
http://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/econo/temidi/td12/td864_12/en_td864/en_tema_864.pdf

[bryant.coleman]

Germans will never be poor thanks to their productive mentality (as opposed to the financial scam-economy other countries have adopted). They lost two world wars and had to take over a bankrupt East Germany after the fall of communism and they're at the top again. I don't think this is thanks to the EU, even though now they do take advantage of their dominant position to make that gap even larger.

I have to agree with you on this. The Germans are extremely hard working, when compared to the lazy groups located to their South (French, Italians, Greeks.etc). But definitely they are taking advantage of their position in the EU.

[countryfree]

What's strange?
In many countries like the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, prostitution is legal, and its revenues are counted in GDP figures. Grass is now legal in Colorado, and it will be counted for that state GDP figure, like gambling in Nevada. There's absolutely nothing wrong. What's wrong is that in some countries, those activities have been made illegal.

[Balthazar]

What's strange?
In many countries like the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, prostitution is legal, and its revenues are counted in GDP figures. Grass is now legal in Colorado, and it will be counted for that state GDP figure, like gambling in Nevada. There's absolutely nothing wrong. What's wrong is that in some countries, those activities have been made illegal.

It's not about legalization, it's about addition of illegal activities value to the GDP figures. These actions will remain illegal.

That isn't strange but quite senseless, because there are nobody paying taxes from illegal incomings.

[thehun]

What's strange?
In many countries like the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, prostitution is legal, and its revenues are counted in GDP figures. Grass is now legal in Colorado, and it will be counted for that state GDP figure, like gambling in Nevada. There's absolutely nothing wrong. What's wrong is that in some countries, those activities have been made illegal.

Prostitution in Spain isn't legal, nor illegal. It's sort of a legal void. In the other two countries you mention, prostitution is regulated and the prostitutes pay their taxes, but that is not the case in Spain. They can perform their activity but there they are always "out of the system", so any numbers the government decides to use are rough estimations.

[bryant.coleman]

Prostitution in Spain isn't legal, nor illegal. It's sort of a legal void.

Although prostitution is legal in Spain, pimping is not. And 90% or more of the prostitution in Spain involves pimping. And in most cases they don't pay any taxes, or register with the authorities. So I'd say that the activities are largely illegal.

[thehun]

Prostitution in Spain isn't legal, nor illegal. It's sort of a legal void.

Although prostitution is legal in Spain, pimping is not. And 90% or more of the prostitution in Spain involves pimping. And in most cases they don't pay any taxes, or register with the authorities. So I'd say that the activities are largely illegal.

Of course pimping is illegal (not only in Spain, anywhere in the world), but I think that % you mention is a bit too high. I'm pretty sure the majority of prostitutes are working on their own free will as they are able to make a lot more money that way than cleaning or working as waitresses for example. A recent study showed that a quite high percentage of female university students are "occasional prostitutes" that pay for their studies this way.

And as I said, there's no way they can register with the authorities since prostitution is NOT a recognized activity in Spain (not outlawed either).

[stompix]

Prostitution in Spain isn't legal, nor illegal. It's sort of a legal void.

Although prostitution is legal in Spain, pimping is not. And 90% or more of the prostitution in Spain involves pimping. And in most cases they don't pay any taxes, or register with the authorities. So I'd say that the activities are largely illegal.

No it's not. It is a legal void , if it would be legal it would be like in Holland  but there are no regulation for it.
You can compare it to drinking , you're safe doing it at home but in some part or cities in Spain don't do it on the street or in club.But even so the police can come even to that house and pick them up if they receive a complain or they can ignore it.

A complete mess that is not bringing anything.

If it would be legal they could have the benefit of having a real job and a pension sometimes and the state will get some taxes out of it.

[Mikez]

What's strange?
In many countries like the Netherlands...

Interesting fact, the Netherlands have one of the lowest inflation rates in Europe...