TAFJA CC Meeting 2022: Strengthening Advocacy Strategy for Fiscal Justice and Taxation 

TAFJA CC Meeting 2022 – Kathmandu, Nepal (17-18/8/2022)

Civil society organizations in the Asian region that are members of Tax and Fiscal Justice Asia (TAFJA) held a meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday – Thursday (17-18/8/2022) local time. This agenda is a regular annual meeting of TAFJA members in order to review the implementation and achievements of the one-year agenda that has been implemented as well as to plan and formulate activity strategies for the coming year. 

The meeting was attended by representatives of organizations from various countries, from Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Pakistan and Nepal. These organizations include The PRAKARSA, Asian People's Movement for Debt and Development (APMDD), Third World Network (TWN), Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), Bantay Kita, Worker's Information Center (WIC), Alliance for Tax and Fiscal Justice Nepal, and Tax and Fiscal Justice Nepal. 

On this occasion, TAFJA members had the opportunity to submit reports related to the achievements that have been carried out together in several collaborative activities from 2021-2022, as well as highlighting the development of the international tax situation, including related to tax avoidance practices that are increasingly being carried out by large companies and the importance of guarding the issue of tax evasion. digital taxation. 

"The importance of controlling taxation practices in the digital aspect, because of the development of technology and changes in human activities that switch to all digital, demand a more active and fair taxation scheme," said Tony Salvador from TWN. 

In addition to digital taxes, Samira Hanim of The PRAKARSA explained that TAFJA also raises the issue of wealth tax in order to address the challenges of inequality and countermeasures against Illicit Financial Flows. "Implementation of the wealth tax and tackling Illicit Financial Flows is a challenge that TAFJA will continue to oversee to create fiscal justice and reduce inequality," he said. 

Meanwhile, Aida Jean Manipon from APMDD as the co-coordinator of TAFJA said that it was important to actively campaign to achieve fiscal and tax justice in order to achieve social and economic justice at all levels of society. 

In the next session, in the meeting that lasted for two days, The PRAKARSA as the TSFWG C20 coordinator had the opportunity to facilitate the preparation of plans and strategies by TAFJA, C20, and other CSOs ahead of the G20 Summit. 

"The discussion begins with an update on the implementation of the C20 Kick off, continues with the implementation of a policy dialogue, and sits down together to formulate policy recommendations from the Taxation issue into a short paper which will then be forwarded to the C20 secretariat to be compiled into a policy pack," said Samira. 

Several issues related to taxation were raised in the C20 policy brief and discussed at the TAFJA forum, namely related to the UN Framework: the need to reform the global tax institutions; OECD/G20 inclusive frameworks on BEPS pillars 1 and 2; increase revenues for pandemic recovery by taxing the wealthy; incorporating gender equality dimension in tax policy; implementing an effective carbon tax rate. 

"Each of these issues will be made into two to three brief policy recommendations," said Samira. 

We use cookies to give you the best experience.