Venezuela seizes another asset: Toilet paper factory

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-venezuela-seizes-another-asset-toilet-paper-factory-20130921,0,1089056.story


September 21, 2013, 9:53 a.m.
CARACAS, Venezuela -- The government may be holding a clearance sale of sorts this weekend after adding a new asset to its portfolio of confiscated farms and factories: the nation’s largest manufacturer of toilet paper.

The seizure of the plant owned by Manpa, short for Manufacturas de Papel, was announced in a social media message sent out by Vice President Jorge Arreaza on Friday and comes as Venezuela is plagued by scarcities of paper goods including disposable diapers and sanitary napkins, which Manpa also makes.

In the past, the government has taken over meat processing companies, rice farms and dairy concerns in reaction to what it said were high prices and hoarding. The Venezuelan government sets prices for basic food items and household goods, often at low levels that private concerns say leave no margin for profit.


Under the late president Hugo Chavez, who died in March, the socialist government took over hundreds of companies and thousands of acres of privately owned farm- and ranch-land and gave them to cooperatives. Farm and manufacturing productivity have declined after the takeovers, exacerbating scarcities and the need to import food and other household items.

[COLGATE4]

1. In medical terms it's called

"swirling the bowl".

[Bacchus4.0]

4. time to flush down the Boligarchs and wipe out chavismo

I wonder if the current government will last another year.

[ehcross]

9. Newspapers in Venezuela are now a precious commodity.

All of the sudden people have began collecting their newspapers in anticipation of the inevitable shortage of paper, all kinds of paper. As the Venezuelan crisis spreads to affect every aspect of daily living people start to be more creative and at the same time, more ready to accept the lack of basic comfort. The process continues to degrade the standards and gives way to cheaper food, cheaper clothes, and at some point even less hygiene.

The first ítem to come under attack is the daily newspaper. The venerable daily newsprint suddenly finds new and clever applications,
the first one being the replacement of toilet paper. Though not as convenient as the known brands, it actually does the job, though with uncomfortable stains in your rear. But then, you are able to keep up with the news.

Venezuela's flamboyant-to-be president will hopefully not notice the change, thus confirming ongoing gossip.

[LiberalEsto]

2. I can't help but wonder whether Manpa has any6 connection to the Kochroaches

Pure speculation, but the Kochroaches own a number of paper product manufacturers in the U.S.. Dixie Cups and Vanity Fair napkins are among the their brands.

[Bacchus4.0]

3. don't know, the Ven government's policies are the problem though, not the Kochsuckers n/t

s

[Socialistlemur]

5. Manpa is Venezuelan owned

Manpa is listed as a Venezuelan corp. however, lets say its owned by Koch. In this case one should consider what's going to happen to Venezuela's toilet paper industry, because the government is known to destroy production capacity when it nationalizes companies. The Venezuelan government just doesn't fire on all cylinders unless it involves theft and corruption.

[ehcross]

6. Venezuela seizes another asset: Toilet paper factory

Once again, oil-rich, but brains-poor Venezuela has confiscated a running private business, Manpa, short of Manufacturas de Papel, a toilet paper factory.

This process is part of an on-going, pre-planned program of confiscations meant to fortify the goverment's reach. but illustrates the dramatic state of Venezuela´s industry.

Confiscation of privately-owned industry is to continue unabated as part of the process of destroying private businesses that are subjected to great pressure through taxation of imports and income and other taxes. Only to reappear later as fully capitalized companies in the hands of Chavistas.

[ehcross]

7. Venezuela and Toilet Paper

Oil-rich Venezuela is struggling to satisfy demand of a long list of household ítems that in other countries people take for granted.
One single ítem is making life difficult for the country´s population: Toilet Paper.

Venezuela is amongst the largest world's oil producers, yet it lacks basic products that are available in the poorest countries in Latin America.

Venezuela's woes are contradictory: The country floats on an ocean of oil. Yet its citizens are victims of widespread scarcity of most household products. The leftist government of rookie Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver with no formal education, but bearer of the blessing of Hugo Chávez, is struggling to face the numerous problems that plague Venezuela. At the same time, Maduro tries to resolve the many issues affecting its citizen's daily life. The result is a chaotic economy with an incapable goverment run by a president with hardly any qualifications.

If Cuba's Fidel Castro, now Hugo Chávez's "senior advisor" and grand mentor of Venezuela's highly successful transformation onto the best example of mismanagement and destruction in the 20th century, has something to offer its neighbors, it is the world's best example of how a country should not be run. Otherwise, people better stock up on toilet paper.

[Paolo123]

10. I don't think it's contradictory

I recently read a book called "The Handbook for Dictators" (In Italian) that explains pretty well that all leaders basically behave in the exact same manner: They do what is best for maintaining their power. The Western Democracies do well because power is spread over the greatest number of people, and therefore the politicians have to please the greatest number of people. Whereas dictators often rise up when their is oil because the leader has the resources to only have to please the police and military.

I'm not saying that VZLA is a dictatorship and I disagree with those who call it that. Mostly Chavez has spent the money for the good of the people (I think VZLA's issues are more to do with things like the confiscation of assets and making private business difficult).

However, the book does explain why massive mineral wealth does not automatically lead to a better standard of living (although it has in Norway, for example).

This is also the reason why one must always oppose the Republicans in their attempts to disenfranchise voters.

[ehcross]

8. Maduro stocking up on Toilet Paper - He is a visionary

Nicaragua saw the Sandinista government confiscate many producers of household goods during their golden years.
Of course, toilet paper was a prized luxury ever since the government confiscated the only private producer to have a state-run outfit supplying the Sandinista elite.

A black market quickly took hold and eventually Nicaraguans could buy rolls from street vendors working for other Sandinista crooks monopolizing the business.