IMF Conference

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

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 Mr. Heferen, Executive Director, Revenue Group, Australian Treasury Mr. Hasegawa, Japan Business Federation
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 Mr. Manit & Ms. Mongkhonvanit, Revenue Department, Thailand 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 Mr. Koguchi, Deputy Commissioner for International, NTA, Japan Mr. Dikshit, Joint Secretary, Department of Revenue, MOF, India
Day 2: Wednesday, February 1
Time	Remarks
Session on Tax and Inequality
9:00 AM–10:30 AM	[Presentation] Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF Dr. Park, Assistant Chief Economist, ADB [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
12:00 PM–1:30PM	Lunch Break
Session on Combating Tax Fraud
1:30 PM–3:30 PM	[Presentation] Mr. Nakayama, FAD, IMF Mr. Speier, Consultant (former Deputy Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Internal Revenue Service, USA) Mr. Yasui, Director, Criminal Investigation Division, NTA Ms. Henares, Commissioner, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Philippines Mr. Chu, Commissioner, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
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 Mr. Oishi, Director, International Tax Policy Div, MOF, Japan Mr. Heferen, Australian Treasury 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 Mr. Dikshit, Department of Revenue, India Ms. Wang, MOF, People’s Republic of China Ms. Chin, Assistant Commissioner, IRAS, Singapore Dr. Warotai, MOF, Thailand 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 Mr. Abeysekara, Director, Fiscal Policy Department, MOF, Sri Lanka, and Mr. Dissanayake, Commissioner, Department of Inland Revenue Mr. Um, Deputy Director General, and Mr. Eng, General Department of Taxation, Cambodia Mr. Asad, Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan Mrs. Khodijah Abdullah, MOF, Malaysia Panelist: same as previous session
3:30 PM–4:00 PM	Coffee Break
4:00 PM–5:00 PM	[Presentation] Dr. Pakpaphan, MOF, Indonesia Mr. Alauddin and Mr. Karim, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Mr. Paul, Department of Finance, and Ms. Henares, BIR, the Philippines 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
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