18 Countries Discuss Tax Coordination in Africa Tax Dialogue

Washington, DC – Regional fiscal officials, leading academic specialists and private-sector representatives from 18 countries convened this week in Cape Town, South Africa, for the eighth Africa Tax Dialogue to discuss the balance between domestic revenue mobilization and enhancing the investment climate. The meeting, hosted by the International Tax and Investment Center, in cooperation with The Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, featured discussions on corporate taxation; mining, oil and gas, and carbon taxation; assessment of the Davis Tax Reform Committee reports; developments in VAT; and e-commerce taxation. His Excellency Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), presented the meeting’s opening address, “The Role of Business Investment to Deliver on the Post-2015 Development Agenda,” in which he remarked that “smart tax reform is critical to mobilizing resources for the 2030 agenda.”

The meeting also featured keynote remarks from The Honorable Kipyego Cheluget, Assistant Secretary General (Programmes), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Mr. Duncan Onduru, Executive Director, Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA); and The Honorable Judge Dennis Davis, Chair of the Davis Tax Committee. Commenting on the high-level participation in this year’s meeting, ITIC President Daniel Witt noted, “This reinforces that taxation, and especially tax administration, has taken on a new level of attention as a key instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Investment and tax are key drivers of inclusive growth and poverty reduction.”

The Africa Tax Dialogue is an annual conference organized by ITIC to bring together regional government officials, academic experts and investors to discuss tax coordination within regional economic communities in Africa.

Contact: Diana McKelvey (Communications Manager, ITIC)

Experts Convene at ITIC’s Middle East/North Africa Tax Forum

Washington, DC – Regional tax administration officials, business leaders and tax experts convened this week in Ankara, Turkey, for the seventh annual Middle East/North Africa Tax Forum hosted by the International Tax and Investment Center, in cooperation with the Revenue Administration of the Turkish Ministry of Finance.

The meeting focused on regional tax policy challenges; global tax policy initiatives and practical responses from the MENA region; tax administration automation, innovation and performance improvement; and the application and enforcement of regional indirect and direct taxation policy.

During his opening remarks, Adnan ERTÜRK, Commissioner of the Turkish Revenue Administration, discussed the increasing importance of direct and indirect taxation for fiscal systems in the MENA region, the role of multinational corporations in fostering regional economic growth, and the importance of strong cooperation between tax authorities.

The Middle East/North Africa Tax Forum is an annual conference organized by ITIC to bring together regional government officials, academic experts and investors to discuss solutions to common challenges and share best practices in taxation.

Contact: Diana McKelvey (Communications Manager, ITIC)

Dave Camp Joins ITIC as Honorary Co-Chairman

Washington, DC - The International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) is pleased to announce that the Hon. Dave Camp, former Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives, now a senior policy advisor with PwC, has joined its Board of Directors as an Honorary Co-Chairman.

Chairman Camp brings to ITIC an extensive tax policy background and valuable insight on the global business environment. His role with ITIC will allow him to pursue his strong interest in international tax and trade issues and offer his perspective on complex tax policy in transition economies around the world.

In announcing the appointment, ITIC President Daniel Witt commented, “We are delighted to have a leader of Dave Camp’s caliber join our Board of Directors as an Honorary Co-Chairman, and we look forward to sharing his expertise on tax policy with interested stakeholders around the world.

As Chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Camp was a leader on tax policy, international trade, and fiscal policy issues. His Tax Reform Act of 2014 (later known as “The Camp Proposal”) is widely recognized as a foundation for future business and international tax reform.

Camp sees the opportunity to work with ITIC as a way to bridge his personal and professional interests in economic development and tax issues in developing economies, remarking that, "I'm delighted to join with ITIC in the furtherance of its continuing mission to assist developing nations in their quest to participate fully in the world economy.  There is so much to be done and many lives that can be improved through such international economic cooperation."

Founded in 1993, ITIC is a Washington-based nonprofit research and educational organization promoting tax reform and public-private efforts to improve the investment climate in transition and developing economies. The organization works closely with ministries of finance, customs services and tax authorities in 85 countries, as well as international and regional financial institutions engaged in tax policy and tax administration issues.

Contact: Diana McKelvey (Communications Manager, ITIC)

Experts Convene at ITIC's Eurasia Tax Forum

Washington, DC – Fiscal officials from across 10 Eurasian countries met this week with leading academic specialists and private-sector representatives in The Hague, The Netherlands, for the 12^th annual “Eurasia Tax Forum” hosted by the International Tax and Investment Center (www.iticnet.org). The conference focused on a number of economic and tax issues, including Eurasian growth and the “China factor,” fiscal consolidation in a low oil price environment, key tax issues in the Eurasian Economic Union, and how Eurasian countries are adapting to new guidelines related to Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS).

“Several of these countries are heavily reliant on the energy sector for large shares of their revenue streams, and this is one of many ways in which China’s slowdown has a considerable impact on Eurasian economic and fiscal performance,” remarked ITIC President Daniel Witt.

The meeting featured opening remarks by Hon. Onno Ruding, former Dutch Minister of Finance, who offered his views on Europe’s evolving relations with Eurasia.  Participants also benefited from the expertise of Edwin Visser, EMEA Tax Policy Leader at PwC, and Graham Kellas, Senior Vice President for Global Fiscal Research at Wood Mackenzie, an energy analytics and economic forecasting consultancy, who detailed the fiscal impact of lower oil prices throughout the region.

Mr. Zamirbek Osmonov, Chairman of the State Tax Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, added that, “We held discussions with colleagues from Kazakhstan in the East to Belarus and Ukraine in the West and South through the Caucasus – it is a unique opportunity to discuss VAT and transfer pricing, for example, and to consider EU experience, both positive and negative.”

The Eurasia Tax Forum is an annual conference that brings together regional government officials, academic experts and investors for discussion of tax issues and the investment climate in Eurasian markets, as well as Eurasia’s integration into the global economy.