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Giant multinational brewer SABMiller – the company that owns Grolsch, Peroni, Miller and Castle – is avoiding an estimated £20m of taxes in Africa and India every year, enough money to educate a quarter-of-a-million African children, according to a new report released today by the international anti-poverty agency ActionAid. The report, ‘Calling Time: Why SABMiller should stop dodging taxes in Africa’ reveals for the first time how the company, the world’s second biggest brewer, uses a complex system of  tax havens to siphon profits out of subsidiaries in developing countries, depriving those governments of significant amounts of tax. Martin Hearson, a tax specialist at ActionAid and the co-author of the report, said: “SABMiller conducts its tax affairs behind a veil of secrecy. The company and its subsidiaries siphon money away from African countries and into tax havens in Europe, where the tax rates are far lower. SABMiller is playing the system to avoid paying its fair share of tax in developing countries.” (Source: Tages-Anzeiger, 30.11.10) actionaid.org Comment: They take it from the poorest. May be that is also our development aid we send to Africa. It comes back to Europe (Netherlands and Switzerland) as their profit. And it is legal!

Two of the largest brewers in the U.S. have announced plans to raise prices on their signature products this fall, although the amount of the increases has not been disclosed. Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors both signaled their intention to raise prices, with local markets determining the size of the increase. (Source: Join Together, 8/27/09)