Previous Amigos

Over a billion people lack access to clean and safe water – most of whom live in poor countries. Every year, 3 million children die from water borne diseases. As if this wasn’t enough, water shortage hampers the growth of industry and agriculture which is so crucial for development and the elimination of poverty.

Some 98% of the water supply in poor nations is controlled by public institutions. Unfortunately, this translates into gross inefficiency in the management and delivery of water and a distinct lack of property rights and pricing which is politically motivated.

However, there is hope. Markets are increasingly operating with more room for private initiatives, some of which have delivered striking results.

Fredrik Segerfeldt author of Water for Sale (Cato Institute, 2005) will discuss the challenges and benefits of private water management, with a comment by Gérard Payen of AQUAFED.

Flat tax systems now dominate much of Eastern Europe, causing governments across Europe and the world to investigate whether they should follow suit. The hope is that a flat tax system would galvanize the economy by making it pay for people to work harder, taking many people out of the income tax system altogether and helping to combat the increasing complexity of the tax system. But would it work? Is it a fairer system for all, not just in theory, but in practice? Or is it just a disguised tax cut for the rich which would hurt the middle classes and leave the least wealthy of us even worse off?

This event will take place from 7pm -8pm (cocktails to follow) on 25 April at the Hotel Amigo.

A recent consumer survey in Europe asked people in eight old and new EU member countries what reforms would most likely increase their quality of care. In every nation, by a large margin, "giving patients more information about their illness" was the preferred solution.

Health care education is the consumer's Rosetta Stone. Public policy institutes, pharmaceutical companies, health care professionals and patient advocates, along with government must be allied in the drive to deliver information to patients, for it is, ultimately, about saving lives and saving our health care systems.

Moreover, increasing information to patients will improve disease awareness and aid in defeating patient non-compliance estimated to cost billions of euros a year in increased emergency room visits, unnecessary surgeries, expensive hospital stays, and lost productivity.

The life sciences have ushered in a veritable revolution in healthcare. More than ever before, genetics, computers and pharmacology intertwine to speed up the pace of scientific discovery. The mapping of the human genome offers new insights into how our organism functions, and how to cure previously fatal diseases. By taking into account our genetic patterns, medicine will be able to adapt to every individual’s needs. This raises important social and political issues: drug testing, the sale of genetic information, medical insurance, enhancement of physical abilities as opposed to prevention and cure. Should these developments be controlled and, if so, by whom?

Flat tax systems now dominate much of Eastern Europe, and over here, the Tories are investigating whether Britain can follow suit. The hope is that a flat tax system would galvanise the economy by making it pay for people to work harder; also it would take many people out of the income tax system altogether; and could help to combat the increasing complexity of the tax system. But would it work? Is it a fairer system for all, not just in theory, but in practice? Or is it just a disguised tax cut for the rich which would hurt middle Britain and leave the least wealthy of us even worse off?