Emerging Tax Issues in Asia and the Pacific

Tokyo, Japan

January 31, 2012 - February 3, 2012

The Third IMF-Japan High-Level Tax Conference for Asia and Pacific Countries, organized jointly by FAD and Japan’s Ministry of Finance in Tokyo from January 31 through February 3, 2012, was attended by 36 senior officials, who are heads or senior officials of tax policy departments and tax administration agencies from 18 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Deputy Managing Director Shinohara delivered concluding remarks. The conference covered a wide range of emerging tax issues in the region including revenue mobilization measures, natural disasters and taxation, taxation and inequality, tax gap analysis, climate financing, transfer pricing, double taxation treaties, and combating tax fraud. The conference, the third in a series which began in 2009, provided participants, with a rare opportunity to exchange views and expand or deepen personal relationships with peer senior officials in the region, promoting further collaboration among the tax authorities.


Participants at the Third IMF-Japan High-Level Tax Conference for Asian & Pacific Countries

Participants at the Third IMF-Japan High-Level Tax Conference for Asian & Pacific Countries

Day 1: Tuesday, January 31
Time Remarks
9:00 AM–9:30 AM Registration
Opening Ceremony
9:30 AM–9:40 AM Opening Address – Mr. Keen, Deputy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD), IMF
9:40 AM–9:50 AM Welcome Address – Mr. Kinoshita, Director General, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance (MOF), Japan
9:50 AM–10:20 AM Photo Session and Coffee Break
Session on Mobilizing Climate Finance
10:20 AM–11:45 AM [Presentation]
Professor Emeritus Kaneko, Tokyo University
Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF PDF
Mr. Heferen, Executive Director, Revenue Group, Australian Treasury PDF
Mr. Hasegawa, Japan Business Federation PDF
11:45 AM–12:30 PM [ Panel Discussion]
Moderator: Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF
Panelist: Professor Matsubara, Meiji University
12:30 PM–2:00 PM Lunch Break
Session on Natural Disaster and Taxation
2:00 PM–3:30 PM [Presentation]
Prof. Motohiro Sato, Hitotsubashi University PDF
Mr. Manit & Ms. Mongkhonvanit, Revenue Department, Thailand PDF
Mr. Tsunoda, National Tax Agency (NTA), Japan
3:30 PM–4:00 PM Coffee Break
Session on International Taxation—Challenges and Policy Options for Emerging and Developing Countries
4:00 PM–5:30 PM [Presentation]
Messrs. Nakayama & Ogata, FAD, IMF PDF
Mr. Koguchi, Deputy Commissioner for International, NTA, Japan
Mr. Dikshit, Joint Secretary, Department of Revenue, MOF, India PDF
Day 2: Wednesday, February 1
Time Remarks
Session on Tax and Inequality
9:00 AM–10:30 AM [Presentation]
Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF PDF
Dr. Park, Assistant Chief Economist, ADB PDF
[Panel Discussion]
Moderator: Mr. Nakayama, FAD, IMF
Panelist: Professor Kunieda, Hitotsubashi University
10:30 AM–11:00 AM Coffee Break
Session on On-going Discussions at International Forum
11:00 AM–12:00 PM Exchange of Information (Global Forum Update)
[Presentation]
Mr. Highfield, OECD PDF
12:00 PM–1:30PM Lunch Break
Session on Combating Tax Fraud
1:30 PM–3:30 PM [Presentation]
Mr. Nakayama, FAD, IMF PDF
Mr. Speier, Consultant (former Deputy Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Internal Revenue Service, USA) PDF
Mr. Yasui, Director, Criminal Investigation Division, NTA
Ms. Henares, Commissioner, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Philippines PDF
Mr. Chu, Commissioner, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong PDF
3:30 PM–4:00 PM Coffee Break
4:00 PM–5:30 PM [Panel Discussion]
Moderator: Mr. Nakayama, FAD, IMF
Panelist: Professor Yoshimura, Yokohama National University
Day 3: Thursday, February 2
Time Remarks
Session on Revenue Mobilization Measures and Current Tax Issues (1)
9:00 AM–10:30 AM [Presentation]
Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF PDF
Mr. Oishi, Director, International Tax Policy Div, MOF, Japan PDF
Mr. Heferen, Australian Treasury PDF
Moderator: Mr. Nakayama , FAD, IMF
Panelist: Professor Emeritus Ishi, Hitotsubashi University
10:30 AM–11:00 AM Coffee Break
11:00 AM–12:30 PM [Presentation]
Ms. Chan, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong PDF
Mr. Dikshit, Department of Revenue, India PDF
Ms. Wang, MOF, People’s Republic of China PDF
Ms. Chin, Assistant Commissioner, IRAS, Singapore PDF
Dr. Warotai, MOF, Thailand PDF
Panelist: Professor Emeritus Ishi, Hitotsubashi University
Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF
Mr. Speier, Consultant
Mr. Thackray, Deputy Director, KAI Enforcement & Compliance, HM Revenue & Customs, UK
12:30 PM–2:00 PM Lunch Break
Session on Revenue Mobilization Measures and Current Tax Issues (2)
2:00 PM–3:30 PM [Presentation]
Mr. Subedi, Joint Secretary, MOF, Nepal PDF
Mr. Abeysekara, Director, Fiscal Policy Department, MOF, Sri Lanka, and Mr. Dissanayake, Commissioner, Department of Inland Revenue PDF
Mr. Um, Deputy Director General, and Mr. Eng, General Department of Taxation, Cambodia PDF
Mr. Asad, Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan PDF
Mrs. Khodijah Abdullah, MOF, Malaysia PDF
Panelist: same as previous session
3:30 PM–4:00 PM Coffee Break
4:00 PM–5:00 PM [Presentation]
Dr. Pakpaphan, MOF, Indonesia PDF
Mr. Alauddin and Mr. Karim, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh PDF
Mr. Paul, Department of Finance, and Ms. Henares, BIR, the Philippines PDF
Panelist: same as the previous session
Day4: Friday, February 3
Time Remarks
Session on Tax Gap Analysis On-going Discussions at International Forum
9:00 AM–10:30 AM [Presentation]
Mr. Thackray, HM RC UK PDF
10:30 AM–11:00 AM Coffee Break
11:00 AM –12:00 PM Presentation continues
Closing Session
12:00 PM–12:15 PM [Closing Remarks] Mr. Shinohara, Deputy Managing Director, IMF
12:15 PM Lunch