Activities

On 10–12 July, ADB conducted a workshop with 50 officials from Cambodia’s General Department of Taxation to discuss the scope and mechanism of the Global Anti-Base Erosion rules, its effect on the country’s tax incentives, as well as tax treaty measures to address Base Erosion and Profit Shifting concerns. The workshop dealt with the steps for the application of the Global Minimum Tax, the positive effects it may bring, and how it may lead to the need to redesign existing tax incentives. Participants learned how the Global Minimum Tax may impact Cambodia and possible options of implementation that may improve domestic resource mobilization while allowing to maintain certain tax incentives.

Through RETA 9433 and the Asia Pacific Tax Hub, ADB supports Cambodia’s efforts to align their legal framework and administrative practices with international tax standards, thereby increasing their capacity to fight tax evasion, halt aggressive tax avoidance, and mobilize domestic resources. If your developing member country is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

ADB participated in the 15th OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) meeting held from 10–12 July. During the meeting, 138 of the 143 members agreed on an Outcome Statement, following 20 months of intense technical negotiations among all jurisdictions on how to make the international tax system fairer and more effective in an increasingly digitalized world economy.

Participants noted the progress made on both Pillars but also acknowledged the remaining differences between jurisdictions, which resulted in delays in the envisaged timeline. While there remains uncertainty around Pillar One, which envisages the reallocation of more taxing rights to market jurisdictions, many jurisdictions have begun implementing Pillar Two, including a global minimum tax.

Through the Asia Pacific Tax Hub and RETA 9433, ADB is actively supporting developing member countries in their implementation of the Two-Pillar Solution. ADB and OECD will launch the BEPS 2.0 Helpdesk, as a dynamic support platform for training, knowledge products, and real-time communication with experts of the Two-Pillar Solution. If your developing member country is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

On 10–14 July, ADB conducted a workshop on tax transparency and exchange of information for the Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Experts from ADB’s Office of Anticorruption and Integrity, Public Sector Management and Governance Sector Office, and the Global Forum trained 51 tax auditors from BIR’s large taxpayer and tax fraud units on the effective use of Exchange of Information on Request and Automatic Exchange of Information standards in tax investigations. This workshop is part of ADB’s ongoing support to the BIR’s international tax competency program, and its train-the-trainers program aimed at developing expertise in tax transparency and exchange of information, base erosion and profit shifting, digital economy, and gender policy and taxation.

ADB and the Global Forum conducted a technical training for 31 senior officials from 18 jurisdictions, including 14 developing member countries, on 3–7 July at ADB Headquarters.

ADB Office of Anticorruption and Integrity Director Lisa Kelaart-Courtney, in her opening remarks, highlighted the importance of international partnerships, particularly with the Global Forum, to promote the adoption of tax transparency standards and to ensure identification of ultimate beneficial owners, as a vital tool in the fight against illicit financial flows and aggressive tax planning. Participants learned how to identify ultimate beneficial owners and use exchange of information mechanisms to counter tax evasion and prevent tax avoidance.

Through the Asia Pacific Tax Hub and RETA 9433, ADB supports developing member countries' efforts to align their legal framework and administrative practices with international tax integrity standards and to increase their capacity to mobilize domestic resources. If your developing member country is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

On 26 June, ADB and the Global Forum held a virtual knowledge sharing workshop on the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI) Standard for 20 officials from Armenia, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. Representatives of Albania, Japan, Maldives, and Pakistan shared their experience on developing an AEOI IT solution with the participants, promoting South-South cooperation.

Through the Asia Pacific Tax Hub and RETA 9433, ADB is supporting DMCs’ efforts to align their legal framework and administrative practices with international tax transparency standards by increasing their capacity to fight tax evasion and mobilize domestic resources. If your DMC is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

On 6–8 June 2023, ADB and the Global Forum held technical discussions with 58 Cambodian government officials to help the country prepare for its upcoming peer review that will assess its implementation of international tax transparency standards and exchange of information on request.

Through RETA 9433, ADB supports Cambodia’s efforts to align their legal framework and administrative practices with international tax integrity standards by increasing their capacity to fight tax evasion and mobilize domestic revenue resources.

If your DMC is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

On 6 June 2023, the Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) conducted a hybrid integrity learning session for 45 project directors implementing ADB sovereign projects in India. The session was organized as part of the India Resident Mission (INRM)’s 2-day Orientation Program for Project Directors on ADB Procedures, held from 6–7 June. The integrity capacity-building session, which is part of OAI’s Integrity Learning Series under RETA 9703, was specifically designed for participants who have oversight involvement and project responsibility. Its purpose was to enhance awareness of potential integrity risks, explore remedial actions, and improve skills in detecting, assessing and preventing corruption and integrity risks.

For similar training requests for your executing and implementing agencies, email us.

On 2 June 2023, a roundtable was held with Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), the Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI), the Republic of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population, and the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption to discuss the 2030 national strategy and the 2025 action plan in relation to corruption in the health sector. Strategies for a roadmap to hold a collaborative integrity risk identification and assessment workshop in 2023 were also discussed.

On 1 June 2023, the Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI), in collaboration with Procurement, Portfolio, and Financial Management Department (PPFD) and Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), held a full-day integrity learning session for more than 50 participants from TJRM executing, implementing agencies and project implementation unit personnel and several ministries such as the Agency on Anticorruption and Financial Control, the Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Science, Energy and Water Resources, Finance, Justice, and Transport.

The session is part of OAI’s Integrity Learning Series under the Integrity RETA 9703 and was tailored for participants who have oversight, implementation and project responsibility. It aimed to increase awareness of potential integrity risks and remedial actions and improve skills in corruption and integrity risk detection, assessment, and prevention. For similar training requests, email us.

On 10 May 2023, ADB's OAI and CWRD held a hybrid integrity learning session for more than 80 Pakistan portfolio executing and implementing agencies and project implementation unit personnel. The session was part of a 2-day hybrid Integrated Capacity Development Training Program organized by the Pakistan Resident Mission from 10–11 May 2023. The integrity capacity-building session, which is part of OAI’s Integrity Learning Series under RETA 9703, was tailored for participants who have oversight involvement and project responsibility. CWRD's Shaista Hussain and OAI’s Noel Anderson were the main speakers for the anticorruption and integrity session. The session aimed to increase awareness of potential integrity risks and remedial actions and improve skills in corruption and integrity risk detection, assessment, and prevention. For similar training requests for your executing and implementing agencies, email us.