European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 4, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 3 diving into the new year Strenty fhe Yeier Ltd Spartico  i to Rome before making his usual big splash on new cur s Day in Rome. The still athletic septuagenarian has for several years made riling of plunging into the Chilly Waters of the at Phon tiber on january from a Bridge in the eternal City. Coke s in Moscow but is it the real thing Moscow up coca cola is now being manufactured in the soviet Union but company officials in the United slates Are a bit baffled by it All. The familiar red and while Coke Label written in the cyrillic script hit some Moscow stores Over the new year Holiday period but Back in coca cola s Atlanta Headquarters spokesman Randy Donaldson said an agreement to produce Coke in 10 soviet cities was signed dec. 9 and there could be no Way production could have started already. Coke now joins rival Pepsi cola and another Coke product fanta Orange As the Only Western soft drinks made in the soviet Union. We announced the agreement three weeks ago but i Don t know of any Wayne d be producing Coke in the soviet Union already Donaldson said. Despite Donaldson s doubts the Label of the new russian Coke states clearly that it is a product of the . Made in the .of concentrate based on the technology of the coca cola co.," the Label says. It lists the manufacturer As the mos cow Beer and non alcoholic production enterprises. Along with the giving the Price 35kopeks s2t for 12 ounces the Label also gives soviets a tip on making communism go belter with Coke t drink it cold it says. In the Bottom right hand part of the Label is the familiar roman script coca Coin trademark. The bottle except forthe Label is indistinguishable from local Pepsi bottles. This is certainly news to us. We had heard nothing of this happening so quickly said a . Trade official i Moscow. Ii is very Sweet but acceptable said one soviet who was asked to Sample the drink. Pepsi tastes belter but i prefer Miner Al water another said. The soviet made Coke docs appear Tobe sweeter than Coke imported from Germany westerners familiar with both drinks said after an unofficial taste test. Coke that is imported from Germany is sold in the foreigners Only hard cur Rency shops in Moscow. Bui in recent months it has virtually disappeared from the. Shelves. The new soviet made Coke made its first appearance in the hard currency stores on new year s eve. Pepsi had a virtual monopoly in the Market after signing an agreement wit the soviet Union in 1973, sales of Pepsi Are estimated lobe Over the j200-Milhonmark. In Exchange for the right to sell Pepsi in tic soviet Union Pepsico inc. Markets soviet Vodka in the United Stales. An agreement to Market fanta was signed with the coca cola co. In 1974, year after Pepsi moved into the soviet Market. Because of he extended new year s Holiday soviet Trade officials could not be reached for comment. Thousands expected at harrods Winter Sale London up More than 250,000 shoppers were expected at the first Day of the Winter Sale at harrods London s mos famous department store which runs from Jan. 7 to 31, the store said Friday. The Knight abridge store regularly at tracts foreign visitors eager to pick up luxury Good at bargain prices. Last january the stoic s Sale produced a turnover of 38.5 million pounds $57.75 million with a record 6 million pounds $9 million taken on the first Day. This compared with a Normal Day s turnover of 700,000 pounds s1.05 million. Every year foreign visitors spend More than 40 million pounds s60 Mil lion at the store attracted by its huge Range of different products from smoked Salmon to Pedigree dogs. Harrods continues to live up to ils reputation of being Able to Supply anything to anybody anywhere. It has sold refrigerators to Finland Sauna to saudi Arabia and persian car pets to Persia while one customer i Miami was successfully supplied with 20 empty Beer cans British of course for a party gift. To Cope with the expected Rush the store will Lake on in i mra 2.000 staff to help ils permanent Stair of 4,000. Harrods said there will be Price reductions throughout ils 230 departments. As Well As a headline grabbing 91,500 Pound $146,250 reduction on a 195.000 Pound $292,500 Emerald and Diamond necklace there is 250,000 pounds 1375,000 of sports equipment at Hilf Price and the Price of Silver Cut Lery has been Cut 35 percent. New value added tax goes into effect in Greece Athens Greece a stores in Al Hans closed for inventory Friday As a new value added lax went Imo effect bringing Greece Inlo line with its european eco nomic Community partners. The vat replaces 25 indirect tails including an old fashioned stamp tax with a three tiered system of levies on goods and services. The inventories were ordered by the greek Economy ministry. But the effects of the new tax won t be fell until feb. I when a three Monell Price freeze imposed to curb Pru vat profiteering comes to an end luxury items like electronic equipment cameras motorcycles fur Coats and alcohol fall Inlo the highest vat bracket of 3fi percent. Raw materials and services arc rated in the lot vast tier at 6 percent vat while other goods will be subject loan is percent lax. Farms and Small he Sicsu v turning less iban j Mil lion drachmas $7.000 annually and health and welfare services Are exempt from the tax. Electronics shops in Atheni were stripped of video machines Levi in a is and i i Ruuti Piliu As shop pers snapped up luxury goods Over Christmas Imil new year s to beat the Price hikes. We had a tremendous Sale of electronic equipment. There in t a video machine left in my store Copto were buying like maniacs mid Nikos Argyrakis Man Ager of a Central Athens appliance store. The Economy ministry has pledged that with the exception of luxury items prices of goods and services � ill not Rise sharply because of the vat. Revenues from the new tax Wilt Anta an estimated 444 billion drachmas $3.1 billion in 1987. Around 110 billion drachmas v7ko million will be levied on imparted goods m2 billion drachmas ii billion on Industrial products 98.6 billion drachmas sii4 million in the stores and 93.8 Bil lion drachmas Sims million from other i Urnis of Trade