Activities

ADB met with 13 officials of the Philippine Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue on 9 December 2022 to discuss the government’s efforts in adopting and implementing international tax integrity standards. Through RETA 9433, TA-9250 PHI, and the Domestic Resource Mobilization Trust Fund, ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Southeast Asia Public Management, Financial Sector, and Trade Division are jointly supporting the Philippines’ policy action reforms to align its legal framework and administrative practices with international tax integrity standards. This will support the government’s capacity to mobilize domestic resources, fight aggressive tax planning schemes, and monitor tax compliance. If your developing member country is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

Speaking at the International Anticorruption Day celebration on 9 December 2022 President Masatsugu Asakawa reminded ADB personnel that in upholding the highest ethical standards, we are trustworthy, transformational, and client-centric. Two of the US State Department’s 2021 Anticorruption Champions – ProTenge.KZ Founder Jamilya Maricheva and Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand Executive Committee Member Torplus Yomnak – and former Undersecretary General for UN Internal Oversight Services Heidi Mendoza shared their experiences and insights at a session on Building Trust, Igniting Integrity: Sustaining relationships in rebuilding Asia and the Pacific.

ADB co-hosted the first hybrid workshop of the International Tax Pacific Initiative on 7 December 2022, together with the Australian Taxation Office, Global Forum, New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, OECD, Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association, and the World Bank. More than 54 senior officials from 13 developing member countries (DMCs) and regional and international organizations participated in the workshop. Pacific Department Director Ananya Basu, in her opening remarks, discussed the Two Pillar Solution to address the tax challenges of the digitalized economy and its impact on Pacific DMCs. Through RETA 9433 and the Asia Pacific Tax Hub, ADB supports its DMCs in adopting and implementing international tax standards. If your DMC is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

ADB held a hybrid regional consultation on international tax matters with 236 representatives from 47 jurisdictions, including 40 developing member countries (DMCs) and development partners, on 5-6 December 2022. The Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators, OECD, the Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association, and the Study Group on Asian Tax Administration and Research co-hosted the event. ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity Director Lisa Kelaart-Courtney, in her opening remarks, highlighted the Two Pillar Solution developed by the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting to address the tax challenges of the digitalized economy. Through RETA 9433 and the Asia Pacific Tax Hub, ADB supports its DMCs in adopting and implementing international tax standards. If your DMC is interested in tax integrity support, email us.

ADB had a virtual meeting with three officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FRB) of Pakistan on 25 November 2022 to discuss the implementation of the international tax integrity standards in Pakistan. Through the Asia Pacific Tax Hub, ADB's Central and West Asia Department, RETA 9433, and the One ADB approach, ADB is supporting Pakistan’s efforts to capacitate FRB’s officials in implementing the Automatic Exchange of Information and Base Erosion and Profit Shifting standards, protect its tax base, and increase domestic resource mobilization. Learn more about RETA 9433: Enhancing Tax Transparency of ADB Developing Member Countries.

ADB and Global Forum conducted a technical training for 31 senior officials from 17 jurisdictions, including five developing member countries (DMCs), on 14-18 November 2022. Co-hosted by the Danish Tax Agency, participants learned how to identify the ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) and use UBO information to fight tax evasion and help ensure tax integrity. Under RETA 9433, ADB supports DMCs' efforts to align their legal framework and administrative practices with international tax integrity standards to increase their capacity to fight tax evasion, prevent aggressive tax avoidance, and mobilize domestic resources. Learn more about RETA 9433: Enhancing Tax Transparency of ADB Developing Member Countries.

ADB joined over 400 delegates from over 120 jurisdictions and 15 international and regional organizations at the 15th Global Forum Plenary Meeting from 9-11 November in Spain. ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity Head John Versantvoort, in his remarks during the session on tax transparency reforms, highlighted the importance of international partnerships, particularly with the Global Forum, to promote adoption of tax transparency standards.

ADB trained 43 officials of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) on 11–13 October 2022. This capacity-building session is the first in a series of virtual workshops on BEPS. Through RETA 9433, ADB supports Fiji’s efforts in establishing a domestic legal and administrative system that meets international tax standards, increasing its capacity to fight aggressive tax planning schemes, and mobilizing domestic revenue sources. Learn more about RETA 9433: Enhancing Tax Transparency of ADB Developing Member Countries.

ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity released the 58th issue of its Integrity e-Bulletin on 30 September 2022. Read this issue to learn how to uphold and champion integrity through our new iACT, iTalk Shorts videos. The issue also features new learning materials on integrity, including training resources and publications. Subscribe to the Integrity e-Bulletin for quarterly updates and knowledge resources on anticorruption and integrity.

On 27–30 September 2022, ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity trained 28 officials from Nepal’s Department of Money Laundering Investigation and other offices on financial investigative and asset recovery techniques to combat money laundering and terrorism financing activities. This capacity-building session supports the implementation of Nepal's guidelines on financial investigations of money laundering and confiscation by law enforcement developed through RETA 9706. The RETA supports developing member countries to develop and strengthen anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). Learn more about RETA 9706: Developing Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Approaches, Methodologies, and Controls (Subproject B).