INFO PV

As part of the International Day against the Illegal Use and Trafficking of Drugs, President Felipe Calderón and his wife Margarita Zavala announced the National Information Campaign for a New Life to tell all Mexicans what they can and must do to prevent their children and young people from succumbing to drug addiction.

The President announced that this campaign will establish the bases for constructing a safe Mexico in which children and young people can grow up free and without addictions, which is one of the priorities for Federal Government.

Over a thousand town halls from every state in Mexico will participate in this Information Campaign through the DIF State Systems, in which parents will receive all the necessary information and orientation for combating addictions.

Accompanied by the secretaries comprising the Security Cabinet, as well as those responsible for Health and Social Development, the President declared that drugs constitute a 21st century form of slavery. However, he added that Mexican authorities will work until they rescue Mexico from the grip of criminals and prevent them from taking over Mexican youth.

“But during this long, difficult battle, I would like you to know that in the unity of Mexicans, in the perseverance and deep love of our country professed by 105 million Mexicans, we will achieve victory, because there are far more of use who wish for a Mexico in peace and free of drugs and violence,” stated Felipe Calderón.

As part of the offensive since the start of his administration, joint operations have been carried out in various states to dismantle the logistic and financial structures of criminal networks … leading to the confiscation of over 55 tons of cocaine, which would have been used to distribute 1,100 million doses, as well as the seizure of 16,000 firearms and $250 million USD, a world record for Mexico.

The president added that through the “Let’s Clean Up Mexico” Campaign, the authorities have managed to recover public spaces that were in the hands of criminals, there is greater control in schools and the program of addiction control and prevention is already underway because …

“what is at stake is our children’s future”.

“And this national information campaign will help us all, because we will only be successful, if, in addition to the fact that we must have better governments, we must also be better citizens and parents. Parents must play a more active role and keep a close eye on what is happening at their children’s schools.”

Within this framework, the president praised members of the Armed Forces for their role in the joint operations for combating criminals in the various states throughout the country, even at the cost of their own lives.

“We know that we must fight the real criminals with all our strength and with a firm hand, as we are doing now, but at the same time, we must not treat young people or teenagers as criminals. It is a mistake to criminalize those who are merely the victims of boundless ambition and criminal perversion.”

Ten thousand promoters will participate in this campaign and the goal is to include 50,000 persons by December of this year.

The Federal Government will invest $589,972,198 pesos, confiscated from drug traffickers, in the construction of 310 Medical Specialty Units (UNEMES) or New Life Primary Care Centers for Addictions in areas with the highest indices of drug consumption.

A Special Night of Great Food and Live Music Benefits Local Summer Camp Program

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico–June 24th, 2008
EL ARRAYÁN invites the public to attend a special charity dinner night on July 12th to support the Children of the Dump’s summer camp program which begins on July 14th. Reservations are required for dining during the special fund raising hours of 7PM to 9PM and 15% of the sales during that time will be donated to the Children of the Dump for their summer camp program. Music will be provided by Frixoleros Música (Free-hole-lay-rohs), a celebrated local duo who just recently released their third CD.

“It’s the support from our local business community, like EL ARRAYÁN that enables us to continue offering our unique programs to the children of Puerto Vallarta,” said Arthur Fumerton, Director of the School of Champions, the program that is running the summer camp. “Carmen and Claudia have generously offered not only to host this special fundraiser, but to hold a special cooking class for the children as a field trip during the camp. We have children who will grow up to work in the food industry and this is a tremendous learning experience for them.”

The Children of the Dump/School of Champions summer camp is free to the children living in the five colonias surrounding the municipal dump, some of the poorest in Vallarta. The summer camp is four weeks long and the children will learn art, computers, dancing, and swimming as well as participating in field trips. It only takes one donation of $200 pesos to send a child to camp.

Representatives from the Children of the Dump and School of Champions will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information. Patrons who would like to donate in other ways, whether in materials for the camp or school, or monetarily are encouraged to do so. Because the program is entirely funded by private donations, there is ample opportunity to get involved and help.

“Giving back to the community is important to us,” said EL ARRAYÁN co-owner Carmen Porras. “By investing in the children, we are investing in the future of Puerto Vallarta. Programs like the School of Champions offer the children education and opportunities that they can’t get anywhere else.”

For additional information about the Children of the Dump and School of Champions, please contact Arthur Fumerton at 044 (322) 158-8815 or email (ArthurEFumerton@yahoo.com).

Enjoy an evening of beautiful Mexican music and delicious traditional Mexican cuisine at EL ARRAYÁN . For dinner reservations, please call 222-7195.

El Arrayán . Allende #344 . El Centro . Puerto Vallarta 222.7195 www.elarrayan.com.mx

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Sales tax rebates will be paid to foreign visitors beginning in June to enhance the experience of traveling to Mexico and make the country a destination of choice for international tourists.

Once the Tax Administration Service (TAS) grants concessions to three companies to operate the program, Mexico plans to put the program into effect.

As part of their main objective of increasing the flow of international tourists to the country, the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), is spreading the word to their targeted markets where they concentrate heavily on tourism promotion with the hopes of encouraging foreign travelers to visit Mexico this summer.

“With this action, Mexico is joining the world’s tourism powerhouses in striving to give a value-added incentive to tourists who are seeking to discover our diverse attractions beyond their borders,” said Oscar Fitch Gomez, CEO of the MTB.

The Value Added Tax (VAT) will be returned to foreign tourists who can prove they have spent a minimum of 1,200 pesos (approximately $120 dollars) – in Mexico and who are returning home by sea or air.

Following the model established in other parts of the world, sales tax paid for the purchase of services, such as lodging and food, will not be refunded.

The refunds are applicable for purchases made with debit or credit cards, but only for cash transactions in which the cost of the item was less than 3,000 pesos. The purchases can be made in stores and establishments that are affiliated with a TAS -authorized service operator.

Tourists will have the right to receive up to 50 percent of the net rebate – an amount not to exceed 10,000 pesos – in the form of cash; the remaining 50 percent will be refunded via electronic funds transfer within a period of 40 days.

Travelers should present proof that they received the merchandise from the store of purchase and submit a reimbursement request form along with bank statement.

The rebate operator will install clearly identified service centers where the relevant documentation can be verified and the sales tax refunded.

The procedure will be implemented gradually across the country. The first phase will be launched this summer at air terminals in Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, all of which are cities with a sizable flow of international visitors.

The following phase, scheduled to go into effect six months after the initial launch, will include the airports in Monterrey, Cozumel, El Bajio, Mazatlan and Morelia; the system will later be set up at the country’s remaining airports, as well as at sea ports such as Acapulco, La Paz, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Huatulco.

The operators of the service – Premier Tax Free, Global Refund Mexico and YVESAM Retornos Mundiales S.A. de C.V. – have successfully applied this model in other parts of the world. Global Refund and Premier Tax Free are companies with presence in over 50 countries.

Since each state possesses different programs of collection, for the structuring and definition of this model in Mexico, the Secretary of Estate and Public Credit (SHCP) performed diverse consultations and carried out comparatives of the systems that operate on a worldwide basis.

The systems of countries such as: Switzerland, Norway, Austria Spain, Italy, United States of America and Canada, as well as those of Taiwan, Chinese and Thailand, among others, were reviewed.

The Mexico Tourism Board is confident that it will be feasible for SAT to implement the program and resolve the demands of visitors in a timely manner.

About the Mexico Tourism Board
The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Celebrating Puerto Vallarta’s 90th Birthday

The National Fireworks Championship will be held at the Puerto Vallarta Sports Stadium (in front of the Sheridan Buganvilias Resort and Towers) on May 30, as part of the city’s 90th anniversary celebrations.

This is a prelude to the International Fireworks Symposium scheduled to be held in Puerto Vallarta in April of 2009.

Starting at 6:00 pm, this free event will be the largest fireworks display in Puerto Vallarta’s history with over four hours of pyrotechnics competitions.

Eight participating fireworks manufacturers from Mexico City, Sornora, Tlaxcala and Puerto Vallarta will each have a 20 minute extravaganza to wow the crowds .. and the judges … while competing for prizes totaling $200,000 pesos.

This National Competition is a dry run for the International Fireworks Symposium next year.