Selfish countries shirk aid air tax

The head of the United Nations charity Unitaid, Philippe Douste-Blazy, has branded countries selfish for refusing to apply a tax on flights to help the sick around the world.

Known in France as the taxe Chirac, after the former president who put the charge in place in July 2006, the fee finances medical aid.

France remains the principal donator to Unitaid, raising 70% of its $400 million budget.

Mr Douste-Blazy, who was France’s foreign affairs minister from 2005-2007, said it was “selfish” of other countries to block what they saw as “another tax”.

Levying the tax, which varies between €1.40 and €40 on flights depending on their destinations, has also been difficult in France.

In January this year MP Charles de Courson concluded that fraud was almost certainly behind a vast discrepancy in the sales of airlines and the amount raised by the tax.

Among the countries taking part in the Unitaid scheme are Britain, Spain, Germany, Norway, Cyprus, South Korea and South Africa.

Photo:Joshua Davis