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ITIC Bulletin
International Tax and Investment Center Contents
Asia-Pacific Update
May/June 2015
ITIC Holds Inaugural Frenzel Lecture on Tax
and Trade
Global Events
News on Board Members,
Advisors, and Staff
Eurasia Update
Middle East/North Africa Update
(including Iraq and Libya)
Africa Update
Combatting Illicit Trade
Academy of Public Finance
Upcoming ITIC Events
Eurasia Tax Forum
ITIC’s 11th annual Eurasia Tax
Forum will be held in Brussels on
30 June - 2 July. The following key
issues will be discussed:
•
Regional Trade Blocs in a
Global Economy
•
The Challenge of Global
Tax Issues (BEPS, FATCA
and Information Exchange,
Multilateralism Trends)
•
Tax and Shadow Economy
Linkages
•
Indirect Tax Coordination
•
Tax Trends Roundtable
Click here to register, or email ITIC
for more information.
On 17 April in Washington, ITIC held the inaugural Frenzel Memorial Lecture
on Tax and Trade, named in honor of Bill Frenzel, the founding Chairman of
ITIC. A 10-term Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Frenzel was a
leading voice on tax and trade issues in Congress. From 1993 until his passing
in late 2014, Bill provided leadership to ITIC and guidance on the evolution of
ITIC programs from Russia and Kazakhstan in 1993 to 85 countries today. For
full event coverage, including the photo gallery, click here.
Annual ITIC Board of
Directors’ Luncheon
We’ve Redesigned
ITICnet.org
ITIC’s annual Board of Directors’
luncheon will be held on 30 June at
the House of Lords.
In late March, we redesigned
our website: www.ITICnet.org
to enhance our communications
with public- and private-sector
stakeholders.
The lunch will be include an
update on the implementation of
ITIC’s new business plan that was
approved by the Board of Directors
at our meeting last November. We
will also provide an update on the
implementation of ITIC’s new
strategic communications plan.
Invitations have been sent directly
to all Board members.
For more information,
contact Brian Mandel.
please
The updated site includes a new
navigation/mapping layout tied
to ITIC’s 2020 Vision, online
registration for our regional tax
forums, and new graphics and
interactive maps.
We welcome any comments/
feedback you have on the new
design!
For questions relating to the website,
please contact Diana McKelvey.
ITIC Bulletin ♦ May/June 2015
Article Published
about ITIC
An article by ITIC President Daniel Witt and ITIC
Board Member Dave Hartnett was published in the Tax
Journal, a leading tax publication for the UK corporate
community. Full article
Diplomatic Dialogue Luncheons
Held at the House of Lords
The Diplomatic Dialogue for Africa held on 10 March
featured Mr. Duncan Onduru, Executive Director of
the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators,
who discussed the African experience in balancing
revenue needs with economic growth and enhancing the
investment climate, while improving transparency. Full
story
On 12 March, the Diplomatic Dialogue for Asia featured
The Honorable Partho Shome (Chairman of India’s Tax
Administration Reform Commission), as the guest of
honor/speaker. Dr. Shome discussed the tax aspects of
the Government’s economic reforms and new budget, the
work of his Commission, and its key recommendations.
Full story
Asia-Pacific Update
12th Annual Asia-Pacific Tax Forum Held in
New Delhi, India
2
ASEAN Excise Tax Reform: A Resource
Manual
At the 12th APTF meeting,
ITIC President Daniel Witt
released ITIC’s ASEAN
Excise Tax Reform: A
Resource
Manual.
The
manual is the culmination
of three years of work by
the ASEAN Excise Tax Study Group that was created at
the ninth APTF meeting in Manila in 2012. Full story
(including a link to the study)
ITIC Signs Cooperation Agreement on Joint
Programs with Indonesian Partner
At the 12th APTF
meeting, ITIC
and the Institute
for Development
of Economics
and Finance
(INDEF) signed
an agreement
to cooperate on joint programs in Indonesia and ASEAN
to advance common research and educational missions as
non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Full story
Global Events
Hafiz Choudhury Participates in Meeting of
the UN Subcommittee on Transfer Pricing
On 23-24 April, Hafiz Choudhury participated in the
meeting of the UN Subcommittee on Transfer Pricing at
the UN Headquarters in New York. The Subcommittee,
created by the Committee of Experts (and comprised of
public servants), inducts expertise from the private sector
to assist with its work. Full story
ITIC Senior Advisor Delivers Presentation to
UN Subcommittee on Extractive Industries
Taxation
On 5-7 May in New Delhi, India, ITIC held the 12th annual
Asia-Pacific Tax Forum. Attendees includes 68 delegates
from 22 countries (15 from Asia-Pacific), representing
government agencies, international organizations, and
the private sector. Click here to view materials from
the meeting, including links to the photo gallery and
presentations.
On 20 April at the UN Headquarters in New York,
Senior Advisor Karl Schmalz, representing ITIC’s Oil
and Gas Taxation and Regulatory Dialogue, delivered
a presentation to the UN Subcommittee on Extractive
Industries Taxation. Full story
ITIC Bulletin ♦ May/June 2015
3
ITIC Participates in IMF/World Bank Spring
Meetings and Conference on International
Taxation
ITIC Senior Advisor Richard Bird Publishes
New Article in Inaugural Issue of Journal of
Tax Administration
In mid-April, ITIC participated in a number of meetings
as part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. Full
story
To read Professor Bird’s full article, Improving Tax
Administration in Developing Countries, click here.
Seminar on Operating Transfer Pricing Rules
in the New Transparent Environment Held
in Vienna
On 13-14 April in Vienna, Austria, ITIC and the Vienna
University of Economics and Business jointly held an
invitation-only seminar on Operating Transfer Pricing
Rules in the New Transparent Environment: Exploiting
the Potential of New Technologies. Full story
News on Board Members,
Advisors, and Staff
ITIC Vice President Blake Marshall featured
in National Journal’s “People” Section
ITIC Vice President Blake Marshall was featured in the
National Journal’s “People” section focused on tax and
trade professionals in Washington. Full article
Tax Notes International - Conversations:
Jeffrey Owens and Pascal Saint-Amans
“Jeffrey Owens, director of the WU Global Tax Policy
Center at the Institute for Austrian and International Tax
Law (Vienna University of Economics and Business), has
created a series of Fire Side Chats with people in the tax
world who influence the way we approach tax policy and
administration. Owens is the former head of the Centre
for Tax Policy and Administration at the OECD. In this
installment, Owens talks to Pascal Saint-Amans, current
head of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration at
the OECD. This interview has been edited for brevity and
clarity.” Full article
Is Your City Healthy? Measuring Urban
Fiscal Health - New Book Edited by ITIC
Senior Advisor Richard Bird
For more information, including how to purchase, click
here.
New Publications on Fighting Illicit Trade Tax Policy, Administration and Enforcement
Transcrime, an ITIC Program Partner, recently published
the following two reports that may be of interest to ITIC
sponsors:
•
From Illegal Markets to Legitimate Businesses:
The Portfolio of Organized Crime in Europe (16
March 2015, edited by Ernesto U. Savona and
Michele Riccardi)
•
European Outlook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco
Products (15 January 2015)
Natural Gas Europe Interview with Dr.
Carole Nakhle
An interview with ITIC Program Advisor Dr. Carole
Nakhle recently appeared in Natural Gas Europe. To
view a copy of the interview, click here.
Interview with Dr. Partho Shome Featured
in The Financial Express
Dr. Partho Shome, a longtime friend of ITIC, was recently
interviewed for a feature in The Financial Express. To
view the full interview, click here.
International Tax Review Interview with Dr.
Partho Shome
ITIC Senior Advisor Dr. Partho Shome was recently
interviewed by the International Tax Review. To read the
full article, click here.
ITIC Bulletin ♦ May/June 2015
Eurasia Update
Roundtable on De-Criminalization of Tax
Violations in Kazakhstan
On 5 June in Astana, ITIC, jointly with the Kazakh State
Revenue Committee, will hold a Roundtable on DeCriminalization of Tax Violations Based on the Practice
of Tax Jurisdictions of OECD Member States. Full story
ITIC President Meets with Kazakh Officials
On 26 April, ITIC President Daniel Witt met with Daulet
Ergozhin, Chairman of the Kazakh Finance Ministry’s
State Revenues Committee in Astana, Kazakhstan. Full
story
On 27 April, ITIC President Daniel Witt met with Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Mr. Witt was joined by
a small group of Members of Parliament from Germany,
Spain, Italy, Latvia, and Serbia to discuss their findings
as international observers during the presidential election.
Full story
Review of the Central Administration in
Kazakhstan
Sponsors’ attention is invited to the lengthy document,
“Kazakhstan: Review of the Central Administration”
that was published as part of the OECD Series Public
Governance Reviews. Full story
Court System Reform in Kazakhstan: What
is there for investors?
To view the new ITIC Issues Paper by Aigoul
Kenjebayeva, click here.
Ukraine - International Monetary Fund
Approves $17.5bn Extended Fund Facility
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance’s website:
“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive
Board today approved the four-year $17.5bn Extended
Fund Facility (EFF) agreed with Ukraine to replace last
year’s stand-by program. The approval of the extended
arrangement under the EEF enables the immediate
disbursement of about $5bn.” Continue reading
4
Middle East/North Africa
Update
Sixth Annual MENA Tax Forum
The sixth annual Middle East/
North Africa (MENA) Tax Forum
will be held on 10-12 November
2015 in Doha, Qatar.
As the meeting nears, please
continue to check the dedicated
web page on ITIC’s site for updated information.
Iraq Taxation Working Group Meeting held
in Istanbul
On 29-30 April, ITIC convened a meeting of the Iraq
Taxation Working Group in Istanbul with officials from
the General Commission on Taxation of the Ministry of
Finance. Full story / photo gallery
Iraq Customs Working Group Meeting to be
held in Basra
On 14-15 June in Basra, Iraq, ITIC will convene an Iraq
Customs Working Group meeting. The meeting, hosted by
the South Oil company of Iraq at their Basra headquarters,
will be co-chaired by ITIC Senior Advisor Dr. Azez
Jafar Hassan and Iraq General Customs Commissioner
Hakeem Jasim Hassan. Information has been sent to all
working group members. For additional information,
please contact Travis Maiers.
ITIC Iraq Working Group Member Publishes
Taxation Article in Iraq Business News
Click here to read the full article, “Iraq’s Evolving Tax
Landscape,” by Imtiaz Ahmad.
ITIC Holds 17th Libya Petroleum Taxation
Working Group meeting in Istanbul
On 28-29 April in Istanbul, ITIC convened it’s 17th
Libya Petroleum Taxation Working Group meeting.
Representatives from the Libyan Tax Department of the
Ministry of Finance and financial staff from the National
Oil Corporation (NOC) attended. Full story / photo gallery
IMF Working Paper - Tax Policy in MENA
Countries: Looking Back and Forward
Mario Mansour, Deputy Head of Fiscal Policy at the
International Monetary Fund, has issued a comprehensive
new paper on tax policy in MENA countries. The paper is
available on the IMF’s website here.
ITIC Bulletin ♦ May/June 2015
5
Africa Update
Combatting Illicit Trade
Seventh Africa Tax Dialogue to be held in
Mozambique
Materials from ITIC’s International
Conference on the Shadow Economy and
Taxation Now Available
November.
The
Honorable
Rosario
Fernandes, President of the
Mozambique Revenue Authority,
has confirmed that the MRA
will host the seventh Africa Tax
Dialogue in Maputo on 17-19
The organizing committee is being formed between
MRA and ITIC. The committee will include President
Fernandes, Gil Gabriel (MRA), ITIC Distinguished
Fellow Jeffrey Owens, ITIC Senior Economic Advisor
Sijbren Cnossen, and Riel Franszen from the African Tax
Institute.
We will continue to update the meeting’s dedicated web
page.
The second International Conference on the Shadow
Economy and Taxation was held in Bucharest, Romania,
on 22-24 April 2015. The conference was jointly organized
by ITIC and Euromonitor Business Consulting Services.
For full event coverage, click here.
Academy of Public Finance
2015-2016 Schedule and Informational Flyer
The 2015-2016 schedule of events for the Academy of
Public Finance (for both Eurasia and Africa) is available
online. Click here to view the schedule.
For more important on the Academy, please visit http://
iticnet.org/programs/academy-of-public-finance.
5 June
Roundtable on De-Criminalization of Tax
Violations Based on the Practice of Tax
Jurisdictions of OECD Member States
Astana, Kazakhstan
14-15 June
ITIC Iraq Customs Working Group Meeting
Basra, Iraq
30 June
Annual Board of Directors’ Luncheon
House of Lords
30 June - 2 July
11th Annual Eurasia Tax Forum
Brussels
2 November
Board of Directors’ Briefing, Reception and
Dinner
London
3 November
Board of Directors’ Meeting
London
10-12 November
Sixth Annual Middle East/North Africa Tax
Forum
Doha, Qatar
17-19 November
Seventh Africa Tax Dialogue
Maputo, Mozambique
The International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) is an independent, nonprofit research and education organization founded in
1993 to promote tax reform and public-private initiatives to improve the investment climate in transition and developing economies.
www.ITICnet.org