Questão 699768

Violations may damage treaty

1 Export of Coltech's 1 microfilm products toTanzania

has been suspended pending an investigation into charges

that the products do not comply with national export

4 regulations. Five customs officials have been charged

accepting bribes to ignore the regulations. While Coltech's

managers have denied the claim that they intentionally

7 deceived authorities and buyers, local business people are

concerned that the scandal will be perceived by Tanzania as

a lack of goodwill on the part of Canadian business in

10 general.

Regulations enforcement officials were alerted to

the scheme when they received complaints from their

13 Tanzanian counterparts. “Coltech products are considered to

be of superior quality and as a result are in high demand.

However, Coltech has been losing money in recent years. It

16 is quite possible that the poor quality of the products in

question was a result of a strategy to reduce this deficit”,

explains Customs Officer Steve Delrey.

19 Coltech's spokeswoman has declined to comment,

but when asked, a former manager said, “In light of the

situation, the current management will be expected to step

22 down, and control of the company will be up for grabs.”

Internet: <www.edusoft.co.il> (adapted).

In the text,

in ‘Coltech products are considered to be of superior quality and as a result are in high demand’ (l.13-14), the underlined expression brings the idea of consequence.