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Program UpdatesS4TP Initiative Launched in May 2008 at New York University
S4TP Initiative Launched in May 2008 at New York University
Developing country tax experts sharing successful tax practices in New York on May 22, 2008
The conference “Revenue’s Role in the Quest for Inclusive Development: What works and what can work better? South-South Sharing of Successful Tax Practices (S4TP)” met on 22 and 23 May 2008 at New York University. The meeting launched an innovative joint project of the Special Unit on South-South Cooperation of the United Nations Development Programme, in close cooperation with the Financing for Development Office of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and two Non-Governmental Organisations: the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition and the Tax Justice Network.
The focus of this first meeting was on sharing experiences with taxation in a number of areas including extractive industries, transfer pricing, modernising tax with use of technology, etc. Participants represented a depth of experience which was subsequently enlarged to form networks to continue the sharing of materials, experiences, and perspectives. The meeting recognised there is much to be done to improve South-South cooperation in the tax sphere, both on the day to day practical level, and on the international level, by enhancing developing countries inputs into the process of setting the global tax norms that will affect them.
Participants: (left to Right) Vimal Gandhi, Michael Waweru, Sabina Walcott-Denny, Pramod Kumar
Participants
[1] The meeting was participated in by key experts from the governmental, academic and private sectors;
- Ms. Madina Abazhanova, Expert of the Specialized Unit of the Tax Committee, Ministry of Finance, Republic of Kazakhstan;
- Ms. Cristiane Coelho, Brazilian Federal Treasury Attorney’s Office,
- Mr. Robert Couzin, Counsel, Couzin Taylor LLP, Canada; Mr. Vimal Gandhi, President, , Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, India;
- Mr. Robert Green, Caplin & Drysdale, USA; Mr. Martin Grote, Tax Specialist, National Treasury, South Africa;
- Mr. Brahim Kettani, Director of Legislation, Studies and International Cooperation, Directorate of Taxation, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Morocco;
- Mr. Mustapha Kharbouch, Chief, International Tax Treaties Service, General Tax Administration, Morocco;
- Mr. Pramod Kumar, Member, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, India; Mr. Yixin Liao, Professor, Law School of Xiamen University, People’s Republic of China;
- Ms. Carolina Musalem, Senior Advisor on International Tax Matters to the Commissioner, Chilean Tax Administration; Mr. Sosimi Olusegun, Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Chairman of the Joint Tax Board, Nigeria;
- Mr. David Rosenbloom, Director, International Tax Program, New York University, USA;
- Ms. Carolina Roca Ruano, Superintendent, National Tax Administration, Guatemala;
- Mr. Stig Sollund, Director General, Tax Law Department, Ministry of Finance, Norway;
- Mr. David Spencer, Attorney and Tax Justice Network International, USA;
- Mr. Vito Tanzi, former Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF and former Undersecretary, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Italy; Mr. James Trowbridge, New Rules for Global Finance,
- Mr. Daniyar Tulegenov (presenting a paper on behalf of Mr. Tomas Balco), Kazakhstan Institute of Management,
- Mr. Victor Thuronyi, Senior Counsel, Legal Department, IMF; Mrs. Sabina Walcott-Denny, Commissioner, Inland Revenue, Barbados; and
- Mr. Michael G. Waweru, Commissioner General, Kenya Revenue Authority.
- Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru agreed to be Rapporteur for the meeting.
Observer
- H.E. Ambassador Gert Rosenthal, Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the United Nations
- Ms. Coralie Bryant, Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars.
Group shot of tax experts after a full day of sharing experiences