26 September 2024 – The Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio is leading Samoas delegation at the 5th Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum (BRITACOF) meeting in Hong Kong this week.
The delegation includes the CEO of MCR, Fonoti Talaitupu Lia Taefu and the ACEO for Taxpayer Services, Auimatagi Galumalemana Michael Maua.
The BRITACOF is one of the major bodies of the Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Mechanism (BRITACOM), a non profit body envisioned to facilitate trade and investment, foster economic growth for the Belt and Road jurisdictions, and contribute to the fulfillment of inclusive and sustainable development as set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Samoa was one of the thirty four (34) member jurisdictions who signed the Memorandum of Understanding in the year 2019 when the BRITACOM was launched. With the acceptance of the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority in this year’s forum, the membership now stands at thirty seven (37) council member jurisdictions, thirty (30) observer jurisdictions and more than thirty partners and members of the other bodies and the Advisory Board.
The Forum for this year, hosted by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department, commenced on Tuesday 24th September 2024 on the theme “Deepening Tax Administration Cooperation for High Quality Belt and Road Development”.
The program spreads over a period of three days and focuses on four main topics. The forum kicked off with selected member presentations and panel discussions on raising tax certainty and continues on the second and final day on discussions in the same format, on updates from members and task force on promoting digitalization, improving tax environment and reinforcing capacity building in tax administrations.
As MCR prepares for its tax reform and transformation project, the forum echoed the drive behind this project.
Digitalization is indeed a positive way forward for all tax administrations on the international and regional realms. Member administrations, tax practitioners, academic and partners who share their experiences recognizes the critical need for modernization in tax administrations.
The changing tax environment, taxpayer demands and needs, the need for the tax administrations to enhance compliance management and service delivery are some of the key drivers of modernization and transformation projects noted from the forum.
Several approaches taken by members and platforms in the ICT enabled services, legislative frameworks, operational processes and procedures and capacity building for tax officers and stakeholders. Success stories driven by continual stakeholder consultation and engagement, tax administrators and political commitment provides key lessons for Samoa’s delegation and will form a strong foundation to the Ministry’s tax reform and modernization efforts.
