By Mutale Kapekele
A new initiative that will help developing countries like
Zambia to bolster domestic revenues by strengthening their tax audit capacities
has been launched by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) project, which
will help countries mobilize domestic revenue in support of the post-2015
Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs), was announced on July 13 at the third
International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa.
Debt redden Zambia is one of the beneficiaries of the TIWB,
which will facilitate targeted tax audit assistance in developing countries
worldwide. Tax audit experts will work alongside local officials of developing
country tax administrations to help strengthen tax audit capacities, including
issues concerning international tax matters.
A number of pilot projects and international tax workshops
are already underway, including in Albania, Ghana and Senegal. Evidence
gathered from real time cases in Colombia indicate a significant increase in
tax revenue, from USD 3.3 million in 2011 to USD 33.2 million in 2014, thanks
to tax audit advice and guidance.
“The challenges faced by developing countries are being
acknowledged internationally and we are delighted to mobilize the best experts
worldwide in a practical contribution to domestic resource mobilization,” OECD
Secretary-General Angel GurrĂa said during a launch event in Addis Ababa. “The
new partnership between the OECD and UNDP on Tax Inspectors Without Borders
will significantly extend the global reach of existing efforts to build audit
capacity while sending a strong message of international support to developing
countries.”
And UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said "effective
domestic resource mobilization is at the core of financing for sustainable
development but efforts to raise domestic resources are often constrained by
tax evasion and avoidance, and by illicit financial flows.”
Clark explained that the Tax Inspectors Without Borders
programme is an “innovative and practical way of supporting developing
countries to mobilize more domestic resources for development.” She added that
with its country level presence and local knowledge, UNDP is well-placed to
partner with the OECD and the best audit experts to scale-up this important
work.
A dedicated central organizing unit, the TIWB Secretariat, supported
by an oversight board of stakeholders, will operate as a clearing house to
match the demand for auditing assistance with appropriate expertise. The
Secretariat, composed of OECD and UNDP staff and based at the OECD in Paris,
will facilitate full-time or periodic deployment of experts.
A TIWB Toolkit sets out guidelines for establishing TIWB programme
and protecting against potential confidentiality and conflict of interest
concerns.
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