Dear Editor:
Re: Fees hit families in Africa, Burnaby NOW, Aug. 10.
It would seem that Pascal Apuwa is in a bit of a conundrum, seeing as he picked Canada to work and be educated in, and considering that his choice is a free-enterprise, capitalist democracy that has limitations on how much government may interfere in private businesses.
First of all, Money Mart is to some extent regulated by government agencies, on the interest rates and charges it is allowed to levy. Perhaps Pascal would be happier in one of the socialist democracies one finds in places in Europe, or communist ones, say, Cuba?
Western Union, whose agent in handling the money, security, paper work, etc., is the only company who handles remittances in Kenyan villages, or so Mr. Apuwa asserts. Well then, I should think that he either pays the going rate or finds some other way of remitting his kind support to his family there.
You see, capitalism works well in most countries because there is competition in the workplace, and some other company which figures it can make a profit by competing with Western Union in a small village in Kenya would certainly set up business if it were financially rewarding.
Apparently it isn't, and the "government" cannot force Western Union, or any other company, to keep its offices there if there is no profit in doing so.
Instead of asking Canadian taxpayers or companies to subsidize his venture, perhaps the Kenyan government would be willing to do so, considering that, as is stated, it receives close to $2 billion in foreign remittances annually.
When I Googled Acorn Canada, they seemed to want to make clear that Acorn Canada is separate from the somewhat controversial one in the U.S., but further investigations would seem to connect the two, if not financially, then, inspirationally. It also seems to want us to believe that there is some kind of Christian connection there, but I have my doubts that it includes my own particular denomination.
Larry Bennett, Burnaby
