From: Vincent Cate <vince@offshore.com.ai>
Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 06:21:45 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Anguilla
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.960817154651.21014E-100000@offshore>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



First I think Tim's summary of my situation is very accurate and fair at 
this point.

One nit of a detail:
>I surmise, given the size of Anguilla and the non-constitutional basis of
>its government, etc., that it _might_ be a lot easier for a bureaucrat or
>the Governor-General, or whomever, to seriously disrupt any business by a
>few phone calls. I don't know this for a fact, but I suspect it to be
>true. 

Anguilla does have a constitution.  It would be hard for any bureaucrat to
seriously disrupt an Anguillian's business.  There just are not any
regulations that they can arbitrarily invoke to harras people.  However,
x-pats are here as guests and they have to get a work permit, or visa, or
something from time to time.  So if x-pats do something that wears out
their welcome, they have to leave. 

Tim:
>Contrast this with a small data haven (a new
>industry) in a small country, with operating margins that are razor-thin
>(given the pricing structure Vince announced, I doubt Taxbomber and other
>customers were paying enough to ensure a flow of payoffs to the Ruling
>Families of Anguilla and the various officials that need to look the other
>way).

Nope, no bribes to government.  However, in doing business here a lot of
people have learned more about the Internet and computers.  And I and
another x-pat have started a weekly computer club.  So there are good
reasons that Anguilla should like having me here. 

For the record, the only bribe I have paid while I was here was
(indirectly) to someone at the phone company to try to get a phone
installed faster.  It did not help, still took a year to get the phone. 
Cable and Wireless, and their high prices, is the worst thing about
Anguilla. 

The current Anguilla government seems to be very clean.

The rumor is that Cable and Wireless bribed the previous government with
things like a free loan of a bulldozer worth $500/day for a couple weeks
to get their 30 year monopoly contract.  Given that CandW is making
millions each year, seems they got off cheap, if true.  Claim is that the
UK does not mind their companies bribing officials, and CandW does it alot
all around the world. 

  --  Vince

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vincent Cate   vince@offshore.com.ai  http://www.offshore.com.ai/vince/
Offshore Information Services         http://www.offshore.com.ai/