PM says UN should handle tax oversight instead of OECD and EU

Mon, Sep 18th 2023, 10:44 AM

Once again taking aim at the OECD and EU over its "arbitrary and discriminatory" blacklisting of developing countries, Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis said the United Nations should be the judge of tax matters.

"Before I close I want to invite the G77 to support the movement afoot at the United Nations that supports the United Nations as a more inclusive and effective body for international tax cooperation and administration," Davis during the G77+China Summit in Cuba last week.

"The United Nations is the appropriate body to design and build a truly equitable and inclusive international tax administration architecture with equal footed representation, an environment of one country, one vote.

"For too long we have all lived in an environment where global tax policy was mandated and designed by the OECD, where concepts underpinning the current international tax system prefer the interests of the global north, that is, OECD members and developed countries, at the expense of small developing countries, primarily black-governed former colonies in the global south, former colonies of those same members of the OECD."

This is Davis' second public address where he lambasted the OECD and EU over its actions.

"The arbitrary and discriminatory actions of the OECD and EU have disproportionately affected countries of the global south, already reeling from actions and impacts of countries from the global north," Davis said.

"The climate crisis is largely created by industrialized countries, many in the global north. The effect of the climate crisis is felt disproportionately by small developing countries like The Bahamas.

"This is exacerbated by the arbitrary blacklisting of these same vulnerable countries such as The Bahamas, from the very same countries that are responsible for the climate crisis. For example, when it comes to insurance, these blacklists result in any remittances from European reinsurers on claims being automatically reduced by at least 25 percent.

"A significant percentage of the monies owed is punitively retained by the EU. We are thus poorer and less able to rebuild because of the effects of the climate crisis.

"We demand equal treatment, we demand the UN be the proper arbiter in tax matters, we demand privileged multilateral organizations like the OECD take your knee off the proverbial necks off countries like The Bahamas, countries of the global south."

The Group of 77, founded in 1964, is made up of 134 developing countries with the aim of providing a forum to promote their economic interests.

The post PM says UN should handle tax oversight instead of OECD and EU appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

The post PM says UN should handle tax oversight instead of OECD and EU appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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