November 20, 2002 

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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER
Your Link to Freedom, Prosperity & Privacy in the Offshore World
Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - Vol. 4 No. 122
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In This Issue:
* COMMENT: Swiss Bank Secrecy Is Here To Stay!
* OFFSHORE: Swiss Competitive: English Spoken. Spanish Rumors Hurt
Gibraltar. Manx Funds. Bermuda Rules. Cayman No. New Zealand Laws.
Canadian Expat IDs. Irish-American Duals. Philippines. Singapore.
Niue. Offshore Travel Links - Check Before You Go.
* WEALTH: EU Investors. German Taxes. Latin Hopes Fade. Israeli Tax
Scare. Irish Stallions. Nigerian Scam. Corporate Espionage Lives!
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Our Guest Comment is by ROB VRIJHOF, member of the Sovereign
Society Council of Experts and a leading Swiss investment & banking
expert based in Adliswil-Zurich, Switzerland. Bob BAUMAN, Editor.
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* COMMENT: Swiss Bank Secrecy Is Here to Stay

Dear A-Letter Reader:

In spite of all the well orchestrated attacks, Swiss banking secrecy is here to stay.

As it has for centuries, Swiss bank secrecy protects bank clients'
financial privacy. It does not protect money launderers, criminals or terrorists. Those who assert otherwise are plainly wrong and often they are prompted by a hidden agenda of their own.

Indeed, Swiss banks have done more to ward off criminally tainted cash than many of our banking competitors in Britain, France the US and elsewhere. That's why we repeatedly have been praised by the US for our official cooperation in many money laundering investigations.

Many of the attacks on Swiss bank secrecy in the name of 'justice' are, in truth, attempts to eliminate cross border competition, to impose an international tax cartel, or to undermine Switzerland's recognized status as a world financial center easily competing with the City in London or with Wall Street. None of that is going to happen.

The Swiss government and it's people will continue to stand up for
financial freedom and self-determination. That's why today more than
30% of the world's offshore funds are entrusted to Swiss management.
Our objective is to preserve your capital with consistent returns, year after year. Safe management of your wealth is the reason we exist. Our firm, my partners and I, collectively have well over a century of dedicated experience in banking, investment and wealth management.

This is the focus of our firm and our professional lives. Our value to you is two fold. We offer: 1) an excellent proven and established
reputation for personal service; 2) the recognized best offshore haven for banking in the entire world; Switzerland

That's the way that it looks from here.

ROB VRIJHOF

Weber Hartmann Vrijhof & Partners Ltd.
Zürichstrasse 110 B, 8134 Adliswil-Zurich, Switzerland
Tel.: 41-1-709-11-15 Fax: 41-1-709-11-13
E-mail: whvp@active.ch
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COMMENT LINKS:
* Weber Hartmann Vrijhof & Partners web page:
LINK: http://www.swissbankaccount.com
* Switzerland: A Brief Guide.
LINK: http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/schweiz/index.html
* Switzerland at a Glance. LINK:
http://www.eda.admin.ch/washington_emb/e/home/geninf.html
* For foreign residency in Switzerland: Henley & Partner, Zurich.
LINK: http://www.henleyglobal.com/switzerland.htm
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* OFFSHORE *
SWISS BUSINESS MORE COMPETITIVE
Switzerland 6th in competitiveness, up 9 places from last year. LINK:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect
=161&sid=1451835
* In multilingual Switzerland, English is taking over. LINK:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=
111&sid=1458797
* Swiss banks set sights on Muslim customers. LINK:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=
105&sid=1458834
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SPAIN UNDERMINES GIBRALTAR FINANCIAL SERVICES
Constant rumors of money laundering cloud Rock's future. LINK:
http://www.mmorning.com/article.asp?Article=4713&CategoryID=7
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MANX FUNDS ZOOMING
DOUGLAS, Isle of Man: Funds under management up 45% this year.
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10031
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BERMUDA SEES LITTLE THREAT IN NEW U.S. OFFSHORE RULE
HAMILTON: Reincorporation rules seen as 'window dressing.'
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10036
* New IRS Rules on tax haven relocations.
LINK: http://hr.pro2net.com/x35998.xml
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CAYMAN REFUSES O.E.C.D. TAX DEMANDS
GEORGE TOWN, C.I. Island government refuses UK Labour
request to agree to OECD demands for 'tax harmonization.'
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10033
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NEW ZEALAND IMMIGRATION LAWS NEED CHANGE?
Business/investors deposit $1 million, create jobs, to gain entry.
LINKS: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2114709a6160,00.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2114799a6160,00.html
* Family wealth puts NZ high on OECD list.
LINK: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2115865a13,00.html
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NEW CANADIAN LAWS IMPACT EXPATRIATES
Canadians who live offshore have a year to obtain new ID status.
LINK: http://www.escapeartist.com/OREQ5/Weather_Forecast.html
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FAMILY TIES DRAW AMERICANS TO DUAL CITIZENSHIP
US citizens with Irish ancestry reach across the Atlantic to qualify
as Irish citizens, gaining a 2nd passport and EU freedom. LINK:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1281&dept_id
=31007&newsid=6092141&PAG=461&rfi=9
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* New PHILIPPINE law allows dual citizenship for millions. LINK:
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2002/nov/19/opinion/

20021119opi3.html
* Is the Philippines worth the risk for investors?
LINK: http://www.iht.com/articles/77457.htm
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SINGAPORE-U.S. TRADE AGREEMENT PENDING
City-state talks on US banks, law firms access to do business. LINK:
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/
FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1035873435963
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U.S. LIFTS NIUE ADVISORY
Based on Pacific island's improved anti-money laundering laws.
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10016
* What's and where's NIUE? LINK:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ne.html
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OFFSHORE TRAVELERS INFORMATION
Helpful LINKS to check before you go offshore.
* US Dept. of State Travel Advisory. LINK: http://travel.state.gov
* National Center for Infectious Diseases Travelers' Health.
LINK: http://www.cdc.gov/travel
* U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. LINK: http://www.fco.gov.uk
* Canadian Government LINK: http://voyage.gc.ca
* Australian Government LINK: http://www.dfat.gov.au
* Kroll Security Services LINK: http://krollworldwide.com
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LINK: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSICB19
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* WEALTH *
WHAT DO WEALTHY EUROPEAN INVESTORS WANT?
New survey gives facts and figures on EU investors and their goals.
LINK: http://www.forbes.com/2002/11/19/cx_1119mckinsey.html
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NEW GERMAN TAXES HURT ECONOMY
Socialist higher taxes imperil already weak national economy.
LINK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2488705.stm
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LATIN AMERICAN HOPES FADING
Democracy and free market reforms are losing popularity.
LINK: http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20021119-011250-5404r
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ISRAELI TAX REFORMS SCARE FOREIGN INVESTORS
But official claims Israeli tax advisers scare off foreigners. LINK:
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=
232291&contrassID=1&subContrassID=
4&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
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IRELAND EYES STALLION TAX
DUBLIN: Lucrative stallion tax exemption in Ireland is threatened.
LINK: http://breeding.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=12766
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NIGERIAN SCAM COMES TO VIRGINIA
Don't be snookered by Nigerian e-mail scam.
LINK: http://www.pilotonline.com/opinion/op1119dou.html
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CORPORATE ESPIONAGE LIVES ON
Cold war spies now work for multinational corporations.
LINK: http://www.europemedia.net/showfeature.asp?ArticleID=13725
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