www.theasianstar.com Vol 21 - Issue 36
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Tel:604-591-5423
Items that cost more in Canada than anywhere else Canadians may soon be docked an extra charge for paying with their credit card. Henceforth, it you buy something with a credit card (other than debit or cash), it’s now legal for retailers to tack on a surcharge of as much as 2.4 per cent. The reform was made necessary due to the fact that Canadian retailers are being utterly hosed by credit card fees. Across most of Europe, credit card companies will ding a retailer less than one per cent of a customer’s total
bill. But in Canada, this “interchange” rate is 40 per cent higher at 1.4 per cent. As a CBC analysis recently noted, Canadians pay “some of the highest interchange fees in the world.” Credit card fees are just one of the things for which Canadians pay bafflingly higher prices than everyone else. Below, a quick summary of some of the things that are pricier in Canada than anywhere else on earth. Cell phone charges One of the first things
India’s deployment of cash transfer scheme is a logistical marvel: IMF The IMF has described India’s deployment of a direct cash transfer scheme and other similar social welfare programmes as a “logistical marvel”, saying there is a lot to learn from the country which is one of the
most inspiring examples of the application of technology to solve complicated issues. The aim of DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) is to transfer the benefits and subsidies of various social welfare Continued on page 7
An unprecedented number of Indians are trying to enter USA illegally through Mexico For decades, Indians who emigrated to the United States pursued the American dream of socio-economic betterment: a better job, a dollar wage, an education for children, and more as students or professionals. But
new data shows a spike in runins with Customs and Border Patrol, suggesting new factors are adding urgency to Indian travel. A record number of Indian migrants have attempted to illegally cross into the United Continued on page 3
noticed by newcomers to Canada is the eyewatering cost of maintaining a mobile phone. In most of Europe, it can cost as little as $30 for a monthly cell phone plan with 100 gigabytes of mobile data. In Canada, that kind of plan would run $144, according to the Finnish telecom analyst Rewheel. “Prices in the Canadian wireless market … continue to be the highest or among the highest in the world,” they wrote in a 2021 report.
Gas prices drop after weeks-long spike, but experts warn of future increases BC can expect a significant drop in gas prices over the next few days, giving residents a reprieve from historic highs over the last several weeks. The price at the pump on the South Coast fell to around $1.92 per litre of regular on Thursday — a significant drop from the recent high of around $2.40. Gas Wizard, an online price tracker and forecaster, has predicted the Continued on page 3
Mayor Brodie on running for Mayor in Richmond Mayor Brodie has been the mayor for Richmond since 2001. As one of the longest mayors in office in Metro Vancouver, Mayor Brodie has been at the helm before the Olympics and since then. Asian Star interviewed the mayor to get his thoughts on what he and his council has accomplished in the past, Continued on page 12
Two women used in human sacrifice in India Police in the southern Indian state of Kerala have arrested three people for allegedly murdering two women in a suspected case of human sacrifice. The remains of the women, who were allegedly murdered months apart, were found on Tuesday. Police say the accused - a couple and another man - “severely tortured” the victims before killing them. They say they have confessed to the crime and an investigation is under way. Continued on page 7
MANMOHAN SEKHON M.Sc., M.Phill Life and Health insurance Advisor
604-358-0590 Unit 252 - 8138, 128 St, Surrey, BC V3W 1R1 www.manmohansekhon.com