Activities

On 29 October 2024, ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) conducted an integrity learning session for 15 participants from the Government of Nepal’s Department of Water Resources and Irrigation’s executing agency for Loan 4501-NEP: Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project.

This capacity building session, part of OAI’s Integrity Learning Series under the Integrity RETA 10349, was designed for participants with oversight and project management responsibilities. ADB's Nepal resident mission, Procurement, Portfolio, and Financial Management Department, and Sectors Group's Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development collaborated to organize the session aimed at increasing awareness of potential integrity risks and remedial measures, while also enhancing participants’ skills in detecting, assessing, and preventing corruption and integrity risks. For similar training requests for your executing and implementing agencies, contact [email protected].

On 20–25 October 2024, ADB conducted a training for the Fiji Revenue Customs and Service’s (FRCS) Transfer Pricing Team (TP Team) in Suva. The training covered the fundamental concepts of transfer pricing, application of the arm’s length principle, and conducting comparable benchmarking analysis. This session is part of a training series requested by the FRCS to build staff capacity for compliance activities involving transfer pricing risks and strengthening domestic revenue mobilization.

The TP Team will draw upon the knowledge gained to conduct thorough functional analysis and scrutinize the commerciality of related party arrangements, ensuring alignment with facts and substance to resolve current cases. If your developing member country is interested in supporting the strengthening of tax integrity, please contact [email protected].

ADB’s Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) discussed anticorruption, integrity, and complaints at the 12th ADB Business Opportunities Fair (BOF) together with ADB's Procurement, Portfolio and Financial Management Department on 10 October 2024. Participants engaged with practical scenarios presented by the panel. The annual ADB BOF gathers consultants, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, and civil society organizations from ADB member countries to network and learn about project opportunities.

On 9–11 October 2024, ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) and the Global Forum Secretariat visited Rarotonga, Cook Islands to conduct a mock assessment of the country's implementation of the exchange of information on request (EOIR) and evaluate its progress in aligning with international tax transparency standards.

OAI engaged with government representatives, the private sector, and other stakeholders to assess ongoing efforts and identify remaining challenges. Cook Islands will draw up an action plan to implement recommendations. By addressing these areas, the country aims to secure a successful EOIR rating, enhance tax transparency, boost investor confidence, and expand its capacity to mobilize domestic revenue resources. If your developing member country is interested in support to strengthen tax integrity, please contact [email protected].

On 27 September 2024, ADB conducted a knowledge-sharing session in Jakarta for 61 judges from the Indonesian Tax Court. Facilitated by ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity, the session discussed the latest international case law on tax treaty abuse and transfer pricing, highlighting intra-group service, royalties, and interest payments. For developing member countries interested in transfer pricing, tax treaties, and Pillar 2 (Global Minimum Tax), contact [email protected].

ADB and OECD, co-secretariats of the Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific (ACI), in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bhutan and the Royal Government of Bhutan, held the 2024 ACI regional seminar on 25-27 September 2024, in Thimphu, Bhutan. The seminar focused on government incentives for corporate anticorruption compliance and business integrity for Bhutan. The seminar gathered experts from 18 member economies, including 57 international anticorruption experts and 96 national stakeholders from Bhutan, and representatives from civil society, international organizations, and the private sector. Through the event, the Public Integrity Network discussed anticorruption strategies in Asia and the Pacific as well as technology for transparency in asset declarations and beneficial ownership. The Law Enforcement Network also shared experiences on corruption offenses and investigation methods among law enforcement practitioners in the region. Established in 1999, the ACI provides a regional forum for policy makers, practitioners, experts, and private sector representatives of its 34 member economies to exchange practices and experiences in anticorruption and business integrity. For further inquiries, contact [email protected].

On 25 September 2024, ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) delivered two knowledge-sharing sessions in Kathmandu as part of its Integrity Learning Series. The first training for 29 representatives from Nepal's executing and implementing agencies focused on recognizing red flags and reducing corruption risks in ADB projects through enhanced due diligence and effective sanctions screening. OAI also briefed 25 Nepal Resident Mission staff in a separate anticorruption refresher session. To request similar trainings on ADB’s anticorruption framework, please contact OAI at [email protected].

From 24–26 September 2024, ADB in collaboration with Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance convened the second International Tax Forum in Bali. This year’s partnership expanded the forum to include tax officials from ASEAN countries and Sri Lanka. Tax officials, international experts, academics, and business representatives came together to discuss effective tax policy formulation, ensuring recommendations are reflective of real-world challenges and opportunities in global taxation. The annual forum focuses on enhancing the efficiency and fairness of Indonesia’s tax system and improving the competence of Ministry of Finance officials with insights and training on tax issues. A key message this year was the impact of Pillar 2 on investment incentives: opportunities and challenges of countries as they adapt their investment policies to the global minimum tax. If your developing member country is interested in enhancing its international tax capacities to combat tax avoidance and promote domestic resource mobilization, please contact [email protected].

On 24–27 September 2024, ADB and OECD’s Global Relations Programme on Taxation trained 12 tax officials on international taxation. The training was a key part of JICA’s International Seminar on Tax Administration (ISTAX), a comprehensive one-month program for boosting the expertise of developing countries. The training covered crucial areas such as tax treaties, transfer pricing, and exchange of information, showcasing how these topics interconnect and providing participants with a solid grasp of international tax standards and best practices in tax policy and administration. If your developing member country is interested in enhancing its international tax capacities to combat tax avoidance and promote domestic resource mobilization, please contact [email protected].

Tax leaders from 16 Pacific island countries gathered at the 21st Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association Annual Heads Meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu on 16–20 September 2024 to discuss critical tax issues, including improving tax compliance, broadening the tax base, and leveraging international tax cooperation (ITC) to tackle tax evasion and illicit financial flows.

ADB supports Pacific island countries through the Asia Pacific Tax Hub with tailored assistance on ITC, including bilateral assistance on Exchange of Information, EU Code of Conduct Listing, and transfer pricing. ADB organizes tax and anti-money laundering blended regional workshops on beneficial ownership, and tax treaty negotiation courses to strengthen developing member countries' (DMCs) negotiation capabilities. ADB will hold a Transfer Pricing and Exchange of Information workshop in Samoa to address the most pressing international tax issues in the region. If your DMC is interested in international tax support, please contact [email protected].