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The LAC Fiscal Initiative

 

Overview and events

 

Key features

The LAC Fiscal Initiative is an OECD programme that aims to improve its taxation and public expenditure policies in LAC to support economic growth and income redistribution in the region.

The programme is delivered through a regional forum for policy dialogue on fiscal issues (the LAC Tax Policy Forum), where senior fiscal policy officials of LAC countries engage with experts from the OECD and other regional organisations. This forum is primarily open to public officials and officials in regional partner organisations.

This dialogue is supported by the development of internationally comparable data, capacity-building workshops and analytical papers that complement fiscal policy discussions. The third line of work consists of assisting countries with the design and implementation of fiscal reform measures.

  • It is part of a broader OECD programme (the LAC Initiative) which fosters policy dialogue in the LAC region covering several other areas besides fiscal issues - investment, public governance and innovation.
  • It is a joint project between the OECD's key regional partners in the LAC region.
  • The LAC Fiscal Initiative is financed by voluntary contributions from OECD and participating countries.
  • It is a demand-driven programme - which meets the specific needs of LAC countries by combining regional and country-by-country approaches.

 

Outcomes

1) Creation of a regional forum for fiscal policy dialogue: 

I Panama City (Panama) on 16-17 September 2010

The first meeting of the LAC Tax Policy Forum was held in Panama City. It focused on the role of the tax system in reducing income inequality and promoting social cohesion, and served to identify tax incentives as the new priority topic.

 

II Bogotá (Colombia) - 12-13 July 2012 

The second meeting of the LAC Tax Policy Forum, jointly organised by CIAT, ECLAC, IDB and the OECD, and hosted by the Colombian Ministry of Finance and the National Tax and Customs Administration of Colombia (DIAN), was held in Bogotá on 12-13 July 2012.

     

III Montevideo (Uruguay) - 4-5 July 2013 

The third meeting of the LAC Tax Policy Forum took place in Uruguay on 4-5 July 2013. This forum focused on practical country experiences in the use of the tax system as a mechanism to reduce inequalities.

 

IV Mexico City (Mexico) - 3-4 July 2014

The fourth meeting of the LAC Tax Policy Forum took place in Mexico City on 3-4 July 2014 and discussed the fiscal policy challenges in Latin America. The discussions focused on the political economy of tax reform, “green” taxation, best practices in raising revenue from natural resources, and the role of fiscal policy in reducing inequality.

     

IV San José (Costa Rica) - 16-17 June 2015

The fifth LAC Tax Policy Forum was built on the dialogue launched in Panama in 2010, continued in Colombia in 2012, in Uruguay in 2013 and in Mexico in 2014, on key fiscal drivers for inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the region.

 

VI Buenos Aires (Argentina) - 26-27 September 2016

The brought together tax experts from all over the region to promote tax reform by sharing new ideas and best practices on international tax developments and domestic tax reforms, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of tax systems in the region.

     

VII Asunción (Paraguay) - 14-15 November 2017

The 7th LAC Fiscal Policy Forum brought together tax experts from all over the region to discuss the contribution of tax systems to inclusive growth through the tax treatment of wages, savings and the income of the self-employed. Tax incentives for skills acquisition, tax certainty and fiscal rules also had dedicated sessions.

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VIII Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) - 26-27 September 2018 

The 8th LAC Fiscal Policy Forum took place on 26-27 September in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This edition discussed whether the upswing in economic growth across the LAC region can help countries to strengthen the sustainability of their public finances and facilitate long-term inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Specific attention was given to financing for sustainable development, the taxation of the digital economy, environmental tax policy and the role of tax morale in revenue collection. 

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IX Lima (Peru) - 5-6 November 2019 

The 9th LAC Forum on Fiscal Policy took place on 5-6 November in Lima, Peru. This edition analysed the evolution of fiscal policy in the region and addressed a topic of great importance: the digitalisation of the economy, where proposals to face the challenges that are presented to tax administrators were discussed, including its impact from the fiscal perspective. 

 

 X Forum (Virtual) - 8-10 November 2021

The 10th LAC Fiscal Policy Forum took place virtually from 8 to 10 November. In addition to discussing tax revenues in the region, this edition focused on key tax issues such as the impact of COVID-19 on public finances, tax policy for a low-carbon transition, the tax challenges arising from the digital economy, as well as the launch of the Spanish version of the VAT Digital toolkit.

   

 XI Forum (Virtual) - 5-7 December 2022

The 11th LAC Fiscal Policy Forum took place virtually from 5 to 7 December. Aside from looking at the current situation in the region, this edition focused on the fiscal policy in the aftermath of COVID-19, the tax challenges and opportunities of the digital economy, tax incentives and much more.

 

 XII Forum (Virtual) - 4-5 December 2023

Open to public officials and officials in regional partner organisations, the 12th LAC Fiscal Policy Forum will take place virtually from 4 to 5 December. The 12th edition of the Forum will cover key tax issues such as the implementation of the global minimum tax, health taxes, fiscal policy towards a green transition, and much more.

More information will be available shortly.

   

2) Tools to facilitate policy dialogue  

Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023
 
This joint publication by CIAT, ECLAC, IBD and the OECD compiles comparable tax revenue statistics over the period 1990-2021 for 27 Latin American and Caribbean economies. Based on the OECD Revenue Statistics database, it applies the OECD methodology to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to enable comparison of tax levels and tax structures on a consistent basis, both among the economies of the region and with other economies. The report includes two special features examining the fiscal revenues from non-renewable natural resources in the LAC region in 2021 and 2022 as well as the measurement and evaluation of tax expenditures in Latin America. 
 
web platform to share this database and to foster virtual dialogue on fiscal issues has also been developed.
book
LAC Boardroom thumbnail   LAC House Thumbnail

Capacity-building workshops and seminars

Several technical workshops and seminars for LAC fiscal officials have also been delivered as a complement for tax policy discussions.

Capacity-building workshops organised in the context of the Global Relations Programme will take place this year in the Multilateral Tax Centre in Mexico.

 

Publications on fiscal policy issues

Several papers produced under the LAC Fiscal Initiative will contribute to the debate on fiscal policy in Latin America.

3) Assistance in the design and implementation of reform measures‌ 


On a demand-driven basis, LAC countries are assisted in the process of reform of their fiscal rules, analysing their budgetary position taking into account the business cycle and commodities prices.

Regional Partners in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC)

   ‌‌  New idb logo   The World Bank Logo

  

Contact us

Any questions relating to the LAC Fiscal Initiative should be addressed to CTP.Contact@oecd.org

 

Photos credits: © Engine Images - Fotolia.com
© Robert Crum - Fotolia.com
© Astock - Fotolia.com

The map is for illustrative purposes and is without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory covered by this map.

 

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