The VAT or Local Tax Scam.

Why are so many people gullible, since 1995 the UK and other national governments made a Y2K policy that training and short term re-employment be linked with their Millennium Century Date Change campaign's. Some of the less scrupled members of Industry and Commerce sees good advances in creating a big mountain out of a big molehill. It's because most people are computerised equipment users, but simply have no idea how these Information Technology systems work. Then there are those who do know, do not wish to question or simply have no reason to investigate the facts because of the Y2K indoctrination and lack of logical analytical thinking.

Technical documents that had no real relationship to the basics of computer science were prepared, to ensnare us all in a Y2K propaganda program of deceit and lies. To hoodwink the consumer into renewing computerised equipment, whilst governments rubbed their hands in great expectation of the sudden flood of local tax (VAT) into their treasuries. To pay for those little political extras to try and show how caring they can be without raising tax on earnings or company tax, etc.

The problem of short term policies is that they can affect long term economy, in this case it has nearly led to a world recession. There was a total lack of thought in that many of the small businesses may not be able to afford unnecessary upgrades or renewals of computerised equipment. Also those that could just afford to upgrade or renew PC's and Embedded systems, may still need to downsize their companies in the short term to please their share holders profit margins.

Early in 1996 many IT companies noted that the Y2K organisations and government authorities started to waiver their obligations and followed suite. Most of these waivers however are open to legal address as they still give an option to how fair they are to the consumer's rights. I have thought on this subject and found great amazement at the lack of legal or bad legal advice given to government organisations. My small team of analyst's and I, could earn a fortune as professional witnesses if we so wished, but that is not part of our agenda, an agenda to correct the mis-informed and the misguided Y2K opportunists.

In June 1998, my Y2K benchmark findings at http://visit.internet2000-Plc.com, were presented to governments and their administrations, these benchmarks have since been extended and updated after opening the originals to Internet debate. Any one can run these benchmarks and check the facts. The facts are that many billions of pounds/dollars have been already wasted, much of this money being public money. In the UK, the government was presented with a proposed Millennium Act that would protect the consumer, this Act has been ignored. In the USA an Act was raised and enforced (September 1998), that in fact takes 50% of the USA consumers' rights away, but it does have some very interesting loop holes.

My advice to governments is that they should come clean, take on the responsibility they are charged with. Making sure the IT Industry advises and supplies the cost effective solutions that their consumers deserve, stop wasting money on unnecessary upgrading and renewals. We all require you to be more ethical and certainly more honest and need the assurance that you will not hoodwink us all again.

My advice to the G8 governments that have thought the Y2K problem could be used to bail out the Asia technology providers, please think twice. The Y2K over production in 1995-97 and the slow response to Y2K hype helped cause the problem in Asia in the first place. Yes, yet again the very greedy part of the IT Industry that has leaned on government bodies to help resolve the mess they have placed themselves in.

My advice to those unscrupulous members of Industry that ill advised governments or are presently offering unnecessary Y2K hardware fixes or equipment, or, simply hyping up the Y2K situation to suit their bank balances, go and find a bolt hole to hide in before your clients start to sue you. God knows how many extra unwanted problems will be caused by bugs and BIOS ROM fixes and your lack of knowledge and greed?

My Advice to the academic sceptics or the dismayed Y2K analyst is simply run the Millennium Ready Benchmarks before saying anything stupid and downright misleading.

My Advice to the News Media is that if you have any decency and ethics left, publish this document. It is a very important observance that could save us all sliding into a deep world recession, that will also affect the well being and profits of those that have caused such a shambles in the first place. And please do not be afraid to publish the truth.

My final advice being that there is a Y2K software problem and still a need to test computerised equipment but the software Y2K tools require revamping as per Visionaries IT's own Milsafe Suite products located at http://Internet2000-Plc.com. There is also a need for effective certification and not just companies stating they are Millennium Ready.

We also feel that there is a need to sponsor Third World countries to resolve their Y2K problems. There is requirement for good solid effective government control over the solution providers the first move being a solid Government Act to protect the consumer. Anything else will end in utter chaos caused by non responsive administration and mistakes through lack of central control.

Author: Bob Johnson-Perkins, IT Research Analyst , Visionaries IT Research (UK)

) Visionaries IT Research 1998

Visionaries IT Research 21 St Hilda Road Cheriton Kent CT19 4BU Tel +44 (0) 1303 276099 Simple Solutions to complex problems http://www.vzone.virgin.net/visionaries.it http://www.fwd.to/Millennium.com

-- Bob Johnson-Perkins (Bob@Internet2000-plc.com), December 30, 1998