Global Forum delivers first 2023 Asia Initiative training on exchange of information

 

17/03/2023 - Twenty-five tax officials from Armenia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Maldives and Thailand met in Nagpur, India, from 14 to 17 March for the first 2023 Asia Initiative training. The four-day seminar was co-organised by the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance of India, the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur and the Secretariat of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes (Global Forum).

The training focused on the connection between domestic tax investigations, the information-gathering framework and the international infrastructure for exchange of information (EOI). Participants consolidated their knowledge on key concepts of transparency and EOI through a series of presentations, exercises and an EOI simulation. These practical capacity-building activities will help participants make an effective use of EOI tools to support their audits of cross-border transactions by improving the quality of outgoing requests and replies to their treaty partners. The training reminded participants of the importance of an effective use of their EOI network in strengthening tax compliance and protecting domestic revenue.

The Asia Initiative is focused on setting tailored solutions to ensure the implementation and use of tax transparency standards across Asia. It was launched in November 2021 to develop a regional dynamic for improved collaboration and as a platform to co-ordinate a capacity-building programme on tax transparency among partners. The Asia Initiative is currently co-chaired by India and Indonesia and counts 17 members which endorsed the objectives set out in the Bali Declaration, a call to enhance tax co-operation to sustain domestic resource mobilisation.

The Global Forum is the leading multilateral body mandated to ensure that jurisdictions around the world adhere to and effectively implement both the exchange of information on request standard and the standard of automatic exchange of information. These objectives are achieved through a robust monitoring and peer review process. The Global Forum also runs an extensive capacity-building programme to support its members in implementing the standards and help tax authorities make the best use of cross-border information sharing channels.

For more information, please contact gftaxcooperation@oecd.org.