European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Christmas party s Over for the office gang Bleak Economy socks holidays by David  the associated press this is the season to dream of corporate Holiday bashes a of free drinks clinking and office dances. Dream on. Forced to Hunker Down against a Bleak Economy scores of businesses Are trimming the All expense paid annual Soiree. Catered Oak floor affairs Are succumbing to fetes around the office water cooler. Instead of sushi on China it Wilt be cheese chunks on plastic plates. Some companies even Are urging workers to do Charity work on the Day they used to party no business wants to be viewed As a party proper. But of greater concern is a free spending image amid rampant layoffs and lower earnings. A if you ask stockholders to vote on parties they a vote 99 to 1 against them Quot said Howard j. Rubenstein president of Howard Rubenstein associates a new York Public relations firm. Rubenstein is throwing a modest cocktail party Al a hotel near its Manhattan Headquarters Tor less than Hall the Cost of last year s sit Down dinner a a fancy restaurant Quot because of the economic recession several firms chose to do no Holiday event at All Quot said Adam Weiss director of sales at the bridgewaters in Manhattan s South Street seaport where Many of Wall Street s biggest firms throw parties. Last year Nomura securities International inc. Threw a Christmas Bash at bridgewaters Replete with sushi an open bar and a live band that set co workers in  action Lin customs Laws vary for non Dod workers i am a . Citizen working in Germany Tor the . Army in a contractor status. I have a sofa stamp in my passport that has entitled me to reside in Germany for the past 6 /2 years without registering with local authorities. I have been authorized logistical support for this entire period. I intend to return to the United states next Spring and have questions concerning . Customs duty t am not authorized household goods shipment and want to mail some of my smaller personal items through the Apo. T checked into this locally and was told to Contact the 42nd my customs in Mannheim. I did but this person seemed to be very unsure other answers As she had me wait several times while she asked someone else basically i was told that anything that was not made in the United states or that i could not prove was purchased in the United states would have a duly levied against it. This includes items purchased in the Exchange. This duty would vary in percentage of value depending on the Type of goods. Why would military personnel be allowed to return goods duty free under redeployment orders and not civilian contract personnel who have no redeployment orders upon expiration of their contract resignation or dismissal we Are both employees of the  Gove fitment live and work for the most part under the same regulations and directives shop in the Exchange and related facilities Etc i need to clarify this matter for me and the hundreds of other contract personnel who Are members of nearly every american military Community in Europe Roger c. Neustifter Karlsruhe Germany a . Tag senior . Customs adviser to the . European come . Customs service replies specifically the inquirer raises several questions focusing on the Issue of his being a contractor employee who is returning to the United states after 61/2 years in Germany. He is questioning Why military personnel and Dod civilians Are entitled to duty free shipments to the customs territory of the United states and contractor employees Are not. Basically the answer provided by the military customs office was Correct. Status of forces agreements govern entitlements of . Military personnel and associated employees while employed overseas but they have no relationship to specific provisions of Law As enacted by the Congress of the United states with respect to imports into the customs territory of the United states. Public Law 89-436 Grants an exemption from duty to . Government personnel military and civilian Dod employees to enter their personal and household effect without payment of duty and taxes when returning from an extended tour of duty overseas. The Public Law does not include Quot non Dod Quot civilians such As Bank employees or red Cross personnel. Civilians in this category working outside the United states Are subject to import duties when returning to the states with some exceptions. Household effects and tools of Trade or occupation that Are taken out of the United states Are duty free Al the time the contract employee returns so Long As the individual can produce evidence in requested to do so that he purchased or owned the articles in the states. Examples of such evidence would be the household goods inventory when moving abroad Bill of Sale receipt or evidence of Purchase in the United states or other Label or indication that the article was manufactured in the United states of course these items must be this year Nomura is ditching the company wide party in favor of smaller departmental events. Spokesman p j. Johnson said the reason was to give workers a greater say in decisions though the switch May result in a Quot modest Quot savings. The party trimming comes after Stock Market scandals in Tokyo contributed to an earnings plunge at Nomura a Japan based Parent and other major japanese brokerages. For the second straight year Abc which is suffering from an Industry slump in advertising revenues is foregoing Yule parties for news and other divisions. Instead it will throw a party for the children and grandchildren of staffers. J. Walter Thompson like several other Large new York a advertising agencies is asking employees to do Charity work on the Day when they used to attend parties. This contrasts with Thompson s last Bash in 1988 at the museum of natural history when 500 staffers dined and danced under a life size Model of a Blue whale with Only display cases of animals to illuminate the darkened space. A it was a different time. Business was different. The Economy was different a said Marty Rose a senior vice president. But the cutback in office parties has t Hurt everyone. Fisher and Levy a new York campany that caters on premise parties says it is benefiting from a trend away from expensive outside Halls that provide their own food. Just to make sure its turning Back the Price clock. Raw vegetable dip was slashed 55 cents per person from last years $3.50. Filet mignon morsels with Sherry Mustard dip dropped $1 to $3,50 each person. Homemade doughnuts Are 25 percent less at 45 cents apiece. Quot companies try to be Scrooge then they realize they can t be because it s bad morale and they come up with some kind of Compromise Quot said owner Doug Levy. Properly declared and entered upon return to the United states. Furniture carpets other than those embargoed by the foreign assets control Board . Persian iranian iraqi Etc paintings tableware linens and similar household furnishings acquired abroad May be imported free of duty if a the article is not imported for another person or for Sale and a you have used the article abroad for not less than one year or it was available for your use in a household in which you were a resident member Tor one year. This privilege does not include articles placed in storage outside the Home. The year of use need not be continuous nor does it need to be the year immediately preceding the Date of importation. Items such As wearing apparel jewelry photographic equipment tape recorders stereo components and vehicles Are considered As personal articles and cannot be entered free of duty As household effects. Individuals wishing to know More about their . Import authorizations May obtain . Customs pamphlets from their local military customs office. To write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment of questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes monday december 2, 1991