Barbados on to Phase 2 of OECD Global Forum
Barbados’ commitment to international tax transparency has been affirmed with its advancement by the OECD Global Forum.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday, April 12, 2012 – A supplementary report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has affirmed that Barbados has satisfied all requirements under Phase 1 of its the Peer Review process.
This now paves the way for Barbados to undergo its Phase 2 assessment in the first half of 2013, which will assess whether the framework allows for the effective exchange of information in practice.
According to the OECD, Barbados is one of three countries to undergo a supplementary assessment, the other two being Bermuda and Qatar.
Minister of International Business and International Transport, George Hutson, stated that the Supplementary Report on Barbados was endorsed during the ninth meeting of the Global Forum Peer Review Group in Brazil between February 27 and March 2, this year.
The Group considered that Barbados has acted on recommendations and its compliance with the international standards has progressed significantly.
This has come as a result of work by Barbados in expanding its network of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) and Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) with relevant partners.
Minister Hutson also confirmed that Barbados has held preliminary discussions with Brazil and Colombia with a view to negotiating DTAs in the near future.
The Global Forum Reviews are a first step in the three-year process approved in February 2010 in response to the G20 leaders' call for improved tax transparency and exchange of information at their Pittsburgh Summit in September 2009.
The Ministry has also given the undertaking that it will continue to work closely with its stakeholders in the industry to address the challenges faced by Barbados as an international business and financial services centre, to ensure that the country's reputation as a jurisdiction of choice for international investors is maintained. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)