Chirac urges aid tax

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac made a new call today for an "international tax", saying such a levy would help generate funds to help poor countries and those hit by disasters such as the Asian tsunami. "These events stress the need to increase public aid towards development and to find innovative financing mechanisms such as an international taxation," Mr Chirac said in a New Year speech to the Paris diplomatic corps. He said France would press the international tax idea this year at meetings of the Group of Eight - the G7 rich countries plus Russia - and at the United Nations, but gave no details of his proposals. France has also supported Britain's proposal for an International Finance Facility to double Third World aid, but continues to push its "international tax" as an additional idea. Mr Chirac made the tax proposal at a meeting of the Group of Eight - the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia - last year but won little support from the other powers for the idea.