The Second Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum (BRITACOF) themed “Digitalization of Tax Administration” was convened virtually between 7-9 September, attracting heads and representatives of tax authorities from 61 jurisdictions including China, Kazakhstan, Algeria, UAE, Uruguay, Sierra Leone, Singapore, and Russia, and heads of 12 international organizations, as well as representatives from the academia and the business.

 

The three-day event, hosted by the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, features 4 topics, namely Tax Administration Digitalization, Tax Service Digitalization, New Technologies in Taxation, and Tax Related Data Governance. It aims to facilitate the establishment of a growth-friendly tax environment, open a new chapter of digitalized tax administration in the information age, promote taxation development against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and contribute to the global economic recovery through sound development of the BRITACOM and enhanced capacity of tax administration.

 

This BRITACOF comprises Council Meeting and Plenary Session. The Council Meeting was held on the first day and the last day and was chaired by Mr. Wang Daoshu, Executive Secretary of the BRITACOM Secretariat and Deputy Commissioner of State Taxation Administration of China. On September 7, the closed session covered the announcement of the Second BRITACOF President and BRITACOM Council Chair, the introduction of new BRITACOM Council Vice-Chairs, new Member Tax Administrations and Observers, and the Advisory Board Members, an account of the Second BRITACOF outcomes, review and approval of the Final Report of Wuzhen Action Plan (2019-2021) Task Forces. On September 9, outcomes of the forum were reviewed and approved and the host of the Third BRITACOF was confirmed.

 

 

According to the Council Meeting, Mr. Ali Altynbayev, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, was appointed as the President of the Second BRITACOF and the Chair of the BRITACOM Council. The Vice-Chairs elected of the BRITACOM Council are Mr. Khalid Ali Albustani, Director General of the Federal Tax Authority of the United Arab Emirates; Mrs. Margarita Faral, Director General of Dirección General Impositiva of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay; Mr. Paata Kiladze, Deputy Head of the Revenue Service LEPL of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia; and Mrs. Tuma Adama Gento- Kamara, Chairperson of National Revenue Authority of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The Algerian Directorate-General of Taxes of the Ministry of Finance will host the Third BRITACOF.

 

 

The Plenary Session was held throughout the three days from September 7 to 9. On the first day, at the Opening Ceremony, Mr. Ali Altynbayev expressed his cordial welcome and sincere appreciation to participants and encouraged representatives to exchange views and develop practical recommendations that will provide for all important aspects of the development and innovative approach in the field of tax administration. Mr. Wang Jun, Commissioner of the State Taxation Administration of China, President of the First BRITACOF and First Chair of the BRITACOM Council, in keynote speech on Seize the Opportunity in the Era of Digitalization for a Better Future, reviewed progress achieved by the BRITACOM in the past two years, shared measures taken by the Chinese tax authority to boost the development of tax digitalization, and initiated his proposals to enhance BRITACOM cooperation. Mr. Pascal Saint-Amans, Director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration of the OECD, delivered his presentation on Digital Economy—Two Pillar Solution. Following the Opening Ceremony, Chair of each Task Force established according to the Wuzhen Action Plan (2019-2021) in 2019 released their final reports.

 

 

On the second day of the Plenary Session, high-profile speakers presented technical presentations and conducted deep discussions over three topics, i.e., Tax Administration Digitalization, Tax Service Digitalization, and New Technologies in Taxation. Tax authorities from Sierra Leon, Kazakhstan, China, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Singapore, Chile, and Malaysia, and experts from the IMF, PwC, the World Bank Group, WU Global Tax Policy Center, EY, CIAT, and UN contributed to the meeting.

 

On the third day of the Plenary Session, Russian and Italian tax authorities shared their practices and experience respectively in data exchange and sharing, and data security control. The International Chamber of Commerce introduced the Business and Industry Tax Report, and tax authorities from Hong Kong China and Georgia, the International Tax and Investment Center, WU Global Tax Policy Center, and PwC Moscow contributed to the panel discussion in this part.

 

 

The Closing Ceremony is the last session on September 9, at which important outcomes of the BRITACOF were released, namely, the Joint Statement of the Second Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum, the Nur-Sultan Action Plan (2022-2024), the Annual Report of the Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Mechanism (2021), and the Final Reports of Five Task Forces of the Wuzhen Action Plan (2019-2021). Mrs. Amel Abdelatif, Director General of Taxes of Algeria extended her appreciation to the BRITACOM, stressed the importance of tax digitalization, introduced measures taken by the Algerian tax authority in this aspect, and invited participants to come to Algeria for the Third BRITACOF. With the closing address by Mr. Ali Altynbayev, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, President of the Second BRITACOF, and Chair of the BRITACOM Council, the Second BRITACOF formally drew an end.

 

At this BRITACOF, BRITACOM Member Tax Administrations agreed on:

 

• Following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, adhering to the guidelines of win-win cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, and striving to build a growth-friendly tax environment;

• Setting the direction and identifying priorities for future development of the BRITACOM, and reiterating the importance of strengthening cooperation with international organizations to facilitate the development of the BRITACOM.

On the sidelines of the online meeting, the Virtual Exhibition is also held on the official website following the forum to showcase the achievements of tax digitalization in various tax jurisdictions. (Click to see details about the Virtual Exhibition: https://www.britacom.org/news/exhibition_2/)

 

Going forward, the BRITACOM will continue to play its role as a bridge for closer communication and interaction, and make unremitting efforts to raise tax certainty, promote tax administration digitalization, improve doing business tax environment, and reinforce capacity building of tax administration, with an aim to benefit BRI jurisdictions and other developing countries.