The Fishers in La Paz, Bolivia

We are still learning new cultural stuff about Bolivia all the time. Whenever we make a purchase in a store or restaurant, they ask for our N.I.T. and our name. We always end up saying “sin N.I.T.” or “sin nombre” to tell them we don’t need that information on our receipt. We knew this was some kind of number for tax purposes, but we didn’t really understand what it was for. We just thought they were very uptight about receipts in this country. For instance, if you buy 50 cents worth of bread at the bakery, they try to make you spell out your name and give you a handwritten receipt. It used to annoy me, but now I understand why. A couple of other teachers explained to me and Tom that the Bolivians are required to spend a certain percentage of their income or it is taken away by taxes. They must prove they spent the designated amount through their receipts. The amount they are allowed to save from their income is limited by the government. It seems crazy, in the States, it is upsetting that people don’t save nearly what they used to and here they are strongly discouraged from holding on to their money!