INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION ON JOHNSON’S LIST OF ‘DEFAULTERS’

LONDON: Britain’s new foreign secretary Boris Johnson ha informed the House of Common that more than £95 million are owed by foreign missions, includ ing nearly £4.5 million by the Indian high commission, who refuse to pay London’s conges tion charge.

Johnson released the list in a written reply last week tha includes parking fines owed by foreign missions and details of 1 serious offences committed by diplomats of nine missions who have avoided prosecution due to diplomatic immunity.

Every vehicle entering a zon in central London marked by th letter “C” needs to pay £11.50 pe day at certain times as congestion charge. Failure to pay invites a penalty of £130. The US with £10. million tops the list of nearly 7 London-based missions who do not pay the charge. India is fifth The charge was introduced in 2003 to raise funds for London’ transport infrastructure.

Described by Transport fo London (TFL) officials as the ‘stubborn minority’, the mission refuse to pay the charge for thei vehicles on the ground that it is a ‘tax’ and as such they ar exempted from paying it unde the Vienna Convention.

A spokesperson of the Indian high commission told Hindustan Times: “We believe that the con gestion charge imposed by the UK authorities was not a servic charge but a tax, which should b exempted under the Vienna Con vention and therefore the Indian high commission, like severa diplomatic missions in London do not pay the congestion charge.”