This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Spanish Government Goes Digging For GDP, Asks Brothels: "How Many Services Do Your Hookers Provide?"
First Italy, then Britain, and now Spain has decided that the key to reducing its debt-to-GDP ratio is not fiscal responsibility, growth, inflation, or restructuring but simply changing the denominator to better reflect reality - in other words, as El Pais reports, Spain is putting an official number on its sex trade and therefore juicing GDP. Prostitution, which is in legal limbo in Spain, is expected, according to revised figures released by the INE on Thursday Spanish GDP increases by between 2.7% and 4.5% after illegal activities such as prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling are included. The Spanish government is undertaking a sexual services survey to better understand the industry...
As El Pais reports,
Several months ago two researchers from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) paid a visit to the headquarters of an association called Heteria - the organization that works to protect the rights of sex workers - looking for a way to estimate how much money prostitution contributes to the Spanish economy.
The government has been working to measure a part of the illegal economy, and incorporate it into the official calculation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This week it revealed its results: according to revised figures released by the INE on Thursday Spanish GDP increases by between 2.7% and 4.5% after illegal activities such as prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling, together with other methodological changes, are included.
Of course they are not the first...
Other European countries have been doing the same. Portugal, for instance, on Thursday published figures showing that illegal activities accounted for around €700 million of GDP, around 0.4% of the total. Meanwhile, results from the United Kingdom indicate that prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling account for around €12.3 billion. That’s 0.6% of GDP, according to a report released last week by the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS).
“A European Union regulation states that part of the illegal economy – prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling – must be included in GDP calculations before 2016,” the INE explains. Government sources say Brussels is demanding an estimate of these changes to GDP before August.
And so the sexual services survey is underway...
At the end of last year, José Roca, a representative from Anela, an association of brothels, received a call at his Valencia office from the INE. It wanted to know if there was any data about turnover, costs and other such figures for the sector. To start with, Roca thought it was a joke. But when he received an official email from the INE he was finally convinced that it was a serious request.
...
Shortly afterward he received a questionnaire from the statistics office with a number of questions.
- How much did a prostitute charge on average for her services in the years 2002/2007/2012?
- What was the average number of services provided per prostitute a day in 2002/2007/2012?
- What was the average billing in 2012 for a normal/small brothel (fewer than 50 prostitutes) for renting rooms?
Roca answered as best he could: “€50/€70/€40” for the first question; “6/8/4” for the second; and “€50 per day/prostitute” for the last.
“It’s impossible to calculate,” explains Roca. “Any figure that we could give is random and subjective. There is no census for brothels, nor for prostitutes, average costs or services.
“It would be better for them to invent a figure,” he concludes.
Which is likely what they are hoping for - anything for some GDP...
And since this is just the beginning for a world which is slowly coming to grips with just how insolvent its non-shadow economy is, we eagerly look forward to the next bold move by economist everywhere: estimating the number of undocumented drug dealer and prostitutes and adding them to the monthly nonfarm payroll total. Think of it as a Birth/Death adjustment. Only more like a Blowjob/Drugs adjustment.
How many blow jobs were created or saved thanks to government intervention?
But how will they account for this? Product (drink) or Service (blow job)
- 20595 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -



Does the survey involve crawling on all fours ?
Plot Twist: First drink's loaded with a Roofie.
blowjobs for bitcoins!
I am sure SOMEBODY in the government knows all the services a brothel offers.
So is Spain going to levy a 'SEX TAX' on users of these types of services from now on?
First Monty Python does it, then the government does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmgcylAxjfY
In an interview on Spanish Television, a little boy who had emigrated from Mexico was shown saying; "Oh senior, Labdia, my seester, she a virgin for you. She ess bean a virgin many many times. She can do anee theeng you like. Si!" Where upon Premier Rad-joy declared the Spanish economy so well diversified in its service sector that taxes could easily be raised to support leadership retirement benefits.
Ghoatrider is One-Bit Whore
Announcing the Blowcoin, it's what's for dinner, peasant.
and she's really a dude.
Hey... this is Spain. Not the SEC. Or Thailand.
Dontcha just love the funny name of" Bangkok"?
Not to mention city#2, Phuket.
Blowjob is a cocktail
...just like a Diamond Ring is a Dime'n Ring
I always thought it was one word not two.
This is the way Dark Ages begin. All virtue is lost.
over here in Belgium they figured out that pensions need to come down.
and you expect that they would put that on the front page of all newspapers but there's only a little colum in the back that says pensioners will lose 1800 euro's per year from their pensions.
RISE AND REBELLION OF THE OLD DUDES!!
as the young kids do shit about their own miserable situation...
A proper answer would be not as many as our politicians.
Your out there on park avenue flashing people, and you wanna talk about virtue?!?!?
I used to be exceptional. That is how I know.
The dreaded sin tax, soon to be a staple of all corrupt governments.
Joebloinvestor The dreaded sin tax, soon to be a staple of all corrupt governments.
----
Up arrow
Government will tax and steal everything and break all promises. Think you are safe. Forget rules regarding your 401k or IRA. It belongs to them, not you. Se are slaves to them and anything we do can be taxed or confiscated.
drug trade may be illegal for now but... don't forget to fill in your taxes and mark that square Drug Kingpin
:)
Can I put my coke as a deductible?
Sudden Debt Can I put my coke as a deductible?
---
You are more then welcome to provide any information they can use against you at a later time.
There hasn't been a single year that I didn't cheat on my taxes :)
Actually... I don't even know if it's cheating or not because... they always give me money for it so it must be done right in some way :)
This all makes sense to Satan.
...and to bankers
Worst than NIRP.
Is this how it ends?
No, but you can probably start to seeing the end coming up over the horizon from here, if you squint and look real close.
When it actually ends, it ends in blood. Same as always.
Lord, please let it be closer than that. The insanity of last week is being outdone this week...every week.
Spanish debt clock. http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/spain
U.S. debt clock. http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/unitedstates
If they are going to include it in their GDP calculations then why is it illegal?
Dr. Engali If they are going to include it in their GDP calculations then why is it illegal?
----
Why do you question what the mafia does. Do you expect honesty, morality and acountability from them?
Probably more so than the government.
Generally, the Mafia make better neighbors than the Government. True.
They should include bribe money for politicians in the GDP.
Likely good for about 50% of US GDP.
Maybe you should patent the idea!
"No one cooks the books anymore, they torture them until the books tell them the numbers they want to hear."
h/t Enron
Margaret Thatcher - 'The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.'
Hey Mags, that's the problem with government in general.
The only problem with Maggy was that she was born in the first place.
This is actually kinda good. Just because it's "illegal" doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
If the wise (often bearded) "Keynesians" factored in the benefits of corruption caused by their infinited debt insanity who knows how high the GDP might go.
It wasn't long ago when under aged sex slaves were taboo. Today, it's a new enterprising Wallstreet bubble.
Sick fucking people running this world.
I wonder if the girls with bigger boobs..make more money in Spain....I would ask that question...the Spanish government needs to know...it all...If I was in charge..this study would take years..and mucho Viagra
If they start taxing sex, they'll start keep the statistics on performance metrics too.
The cute girl carrying the blow-job sign is not the one who will give you the blow-job. That would be the aids-ridden guy who sleeps in the dumpster.
Sign spinners
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33510506/ns/business-small_business/t/sign-spi...
behind the glory hole
and i thought - why Rome fell
I reiterate: let's have a measure of GPD "growth" or "ungrowth" or "disgrowth" that isn't so goddamn stupid.
The hookers will have to wear humpometers to record their activities and upload the records weekly.
Will the hookers be able to depreciate coochies?
It's not been announced yet, but there's an app for that!
That's what Accelerometers are for.
Now this is just pure genius any kid fresh out of college with a finiance degree can snort cocaine off a hookers ass, but it takes a true genius to figure out a way to monetize both her ass and the cocaine.
A 20% of GDP growth is within sight.
i can use a drink right about now...and keep them cumming!
if you like your blow job you can keep your blow job
The Onion strikes again...El Pais? Fuck! Please somebody let me off this ride.
some hookers cause more growth than others
they call it a "starbucks" in Idiocracy. In all the dystopian futuristic movies prostitute is considered a good job. Come to think about it all the cheap whores in the usa gubbermint and msm would have to agree.
100 years ago, booze, drugs, prostitution,gambling were illegal as set by the gov and was run by organized crime
100 years later, all these are part of gov revenue
gov = organized crime
YES
If one does not find the proper coefficient of hum one can never figure the GDP impact of fellatio...remember the angle of dangle is equal to the sum of the ....
and I swear it won't be long before they are counting all sex because ...it could have been economic activity if it had been paid for...
don't laugh, they now impute the rent you would be paying if not for the fact that you pay a mortgage...and this maniupulation of data PROVIDES A BIG BUMP IN THE GDP NUMBER.
How desperate must they be that this GDP number stays high even if it means nothing? It is because they system is crumbling and all the fire alarms must be silenced...voter will be angry if they hear bad news.
Marriage is a very expensive proposition...
I can smell a 'lingus tax cummin'!
Soooo, if illicit trade and solicitation are to be added to GDP than logically speaking they are now tax deductions. When this comes here, I see my issues expanding faster than the Fed's Bal. Sheet! Then, I'll really know what it's like to be like GE and pay ZERO taxes!
Makes me want to get a drink.
ahhh so that's why the US is legalizing weed! I get it now!
Nothing wrong with weed.
Now that's my kinda Happy hour!
In that case .... make mine a double!
That's how it was in Oolongapo in the 1980's; or Pattaya now. A little too out-front for my tastes ...
1978 that was the sleeziest place i have ever been, far beyond my most depraved 18 year old thoughts.
Ok I Give up... How much does The First Drink Cost ?
Sorry gents, but that is a "ladyboy", just like the ones that appeared in the movie "Hangover 2". 1000's of them in Asia, especially in the South Pacific.
wow, price controls on nookie. Wonder how it's taxed? Per stroke or per orafice?
I bet the IRS already has occupation codes ready to go.
If your GDP stays erect more that 4 months in a row see your economist immediately.
The Gov is doing all it can to increase its stroke.
Will including the sex trade cause greater inflation?
Will they still have a use for the God Damn Penis deflator?
Every time gov massages the data it has a happy ending.
Will there be a Hedonic adjustment for wet dreams?
Will jacking off carry an "imputed rents" correction?
Yeah, it's getting pretty close to the end now.
Governments confiscating dormant bank accounts within shortened time periods speaks volumes.
They do everything but derivatives-Those are fucking filthy.
That is the most amazing sign I have ever seen.
This is precisely what a limp economy needs
These governments are saying you as parents have raised a child in a family home factory and that child is valued for her young body which she sells to strangers because it aides economic growth that satisfies the IMF, World Bank and other parasitic financial intuitions that each nation is feeding via austerity & economic reform targets met by any means necessary. These institutions of course profit handsomely from this and ensure that every penny spent in the open and now underground economies can be taxed, controlled, skimmed and fully exploited to enrich a few, while laughing at the misery and decay.
Fits perfectly with Tavistock Institute (by Dr Coleman - make sure your kids read it they'll see this and Miley Cyrus as programming not as genuine social "progress").