Events

Health versus Wealth?: Tax and Transparency in the Age of COVID-19 28 May, 2020

The Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC), The Independent Commission for Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT), Oxfam and Public Services International (PSI) had organised a virtual event

Health versus Wealth?

Tax and Transparency in the Age of COVID-19

Thursday 28th May 2020, 13.00 – 15.30 (CUT)

 

For an expert discussion considering what policy makers must prioritize to manage the fiscal burden from COVID-19

Amidst an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, policy makers are adjusting to the resource challenges looming over the global economy. In the Global North and South, the powers of government are being tested to preserve health and livelihoods at all costs. These costs will be immense and are already constraining how policy makers are able to respond. An expert discussion was required to consider how to prioritise and identify the reforms and policy innovations on tax and transparency that can secure greater revenue or to ensure less is lost to secrecy and abuse. Examining both concentrations of wealth and corporate revenues, speakers reviewed the potential of proposed reforms, asking of each potential reform:

-What is the potential for sufficient – in scale and urgency – resources?

-What are the immediate priorities for raising or protecting revenue?

-How to safeguard rights, and especially the needs, of the vulnerable?

-How to ensure interventions are progressive and further gender equality?

Speakers to include:

-Jayati Ghosh, ICRICT, Jawaharlal Nehru University

-Rosa Pavenelli, General Secretary – Public Services International-PSI

-Logan Wort, African Tax Administration Forum

-Rajat Bansal, Government of India appointee to UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters (invited)

-Allison Christians, McGill University (invited)

-Alex Cobham, Tax Justice Network

-Emmanuel Saez, Center for Equitable Growth, Berkeley University (invited)

-Samuel V. Makwe, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations (invited)

 

For more details please refer to the agenda document.