Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    SweetCrudeReportsSweetCrudeReports
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Oil
    • Gas
    • Power
    • Solid Minerals
    • Labour
    • Financing
    • Freight
    • Community Development
    • E-Editions
    SweetCrudeReportsSweetCrudeReports
    Home » Commonwealth finance ministers urge progress on taxing digital commerce

    Commonwealth finance ministers urge progress on taxing digital commerce

    October 21, 2019
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
    Commonwealth finance ministers urge progress on taxing digital commerce
    *Meeting of Ministers of Finance of Commonwealth member nations.

    …to tackle debt

    Lagos — Commonwealth finance ministers have recognised the potential of technology to improve debt transparency while urging closer collaboration to resolve tax challenges arising from growing digital commerce.

    Revenues from tax collection are important for maintaining debt at sustainable levels, yet can often be impaired by the digitalisation of trade in services, as this often results in countries being unable to determine when, how and where taxes on digital transactions should be collected.

    Ministers have therefore agreed that the Commonwealth should bring its powerful collective voice to ongoing discussions at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), particularly on behalf of smaller states. International agreement on digital taxation could enable countries to benefit by taxing large tech giants, even if they do not operate within their jurisdictions.

    These decisions were made by ministers gathered in Washington DC for the 2019 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting under the theme ‘preventing debt crises: the role of creditors and debtors’.

    Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “The Commonwealth has a distinctive contribution to make by bringing together nations with developed and developing economies to agree on collective approaches and action towards a fair and equitable global system for taxing multinational businesses in a swiftly digitalising economy.

    “We need a rule-based system that is inclusive, transparent and efficient so that all countries have a means of collecting revenue and are thereby able to avoid accumulating excessive debt. It goes hand in hand with accelerating the gains to be made by addressing climate change and making progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals.”

    Also Read: Afreximbank intervention in African ports hits N152bn in 3yrs

    Ministers saw global trade and geopolitical tensions as having ‘intensified’, in a context where global debt has risen to an all-time high, estimated at $19 trillion. They stressed the need to make debt easier to manage for vulnerable countries, and for them to be eligible for periods of relief to stabilise growth during economic shocks.

    As seen in the past, disasters can push countries into taking on emergency loans to rebuild and recover. Such debt can easily become unsustainable for most low and middle-income countries, making them vulnerable to debt distress.

    The Minister of Finance of Cyprus, Harris Georgiades, who chaired the meeting, said: “Disruptive technologies are challenging the financial system by increasing competition and reshaping conventional business models, thereby fuelling the creation of a whole new kind of financial ecosystem.”

    During the meeting, ministers also reviewed a suite of Commonwealth initiatives, including a disaster risk portal to offer streamlined and integrated information on available funds to respond to disasters, and a fin-tech toolkit to help banks leverage innovation in the financial sector.

    The Commonwealth gave a presentation on its flagship debt management system ‘Commonwealth Meridian’ which is used by 63 countries to manage their debt which combines to a total of $2.5 trillion.

    Considerable progress is expected to have been made on the various action and initiatives discussed by the time of the next Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting, which will be chaired by Botswana in Washington DC in 2020.

    Kindly like us on facebook

    Related News

    Kwairanga reiterates NGX’s commitment to deepening Nigeria’s capital market

    African Union agency says Fitch’s downgrade of Afreximbank is ‘flawed’

    Indonesia eyes Nigeria for trade, investment expansion

    E-book
    Resilience Exhibition

    Latest News

    Shipping firms dodges $900m cost, as Nigeria hit by empty container glut

    June 9, 2025

    ‘OPEC oil output rises in May but compensation cuts limit hike’

    June 9, 2025

    Chevron CEO warned staff of rising safety issues before fatal Angola platform fire

    June 9, 2025

    Oil prices steady ahead of US-China trade talks

    June 9, 2025

    Kwairanga reiterates NGX’s commitment to deepening Nigeria’s capital market

    June 9, 2025
    Demo
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Opec Daily Basket
    • Oil
    • Power
    • Gas
    • Freight
    • Financing
    • Labour
    • Technology
    • Solid Mineral
    • Conferences/Seminars
    • Community Development
    • Nigerian Content Initiative
    • Niger-Delta Question
    • Insurance
    • Other News
    • Focus
    • Feedback
    • Hanging Out With Markson

    Subscribe for Updates

    Get the latest energy news from Sweetcrudereports.

    Please wait...
    Please enter all required fields Click to hide
    Correct invalid entries Click to hide
    © 2025 Sweetcrudereports.
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy Policy

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.