THE FUTURE OF MONEY Bernard A. Lietaer - library.uniteddiversity ...

our clients in keeping in contact with labour market skills and habits,
and indeed, in contact with the labour market itself.'
More recently, several UK government entities have further
recognised the positive social role that these systems play.'" Research
has indeed shown that LETS can play an important role for the
socially excluded in inner cities.'" Prime Minister Blair endorsed
LETS as 'showing the way' towards rebuilding human capital and
'making the links between rebuilding communities and rebuilding
economic opportunity'.'" Nevertheless, at the same time tax
ambiguities are reported as a continuing impediment for small
businesses or professionals to provide services in LETS, reducing
both employment creation opportunities and the variety of what is
available in this environment.
As of 1999, there are an estimated 450 LETS systems operational in
the UK, more than a 100% growth since Alan Wheatley's report in
1994. City Councils - such as those in Bradford, Greenwich, Redditch,
Shepway, Liverpool or Leicester - now have LETS development
teams. In total over 100 local authorities are funding LETS
development schemes via the Single Regeneration Budget, as part of
their anti-poverty strategies. It should be noted, however, that
impressive as this may ah seem, in the big picture of, a economic
thing, the whole process remains marginal. An estimated 39,000
people are involved with a total annual turnover of only Pound 2.2
million.
Another indication of the depth of the social experimentation with
money that is taking place in the UK is that there are now 500 credit
unions (community created pools of 'normal' national currency to
lend among members) operational in the country.
New Zealand