The final Toktok Bilong Strongim Nesen discussion series for 2019 promises to be a fascinating public discussion themed ‘Billions from Betelnut? Taxation, Growth and Governance’.
It will be held at the University of Papua New Guinea on Thursday 21 November, commencing at 2pm with opening remarks by the Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Bruce Davis.
Taxes help to build free and independent nations – they are an important form of government revenue that can be redistributed towards health, education, roads and other vital public services and infrastructure.
Beyond government income, what are the broader implications of effective taxation on governance, citizens and the state? This discussion will look at obstacles to tax collection in Papua New Guinea and the relevance of different sources of revenue to PNG’s national spending goals.
It will also explore the division of responsibility between business and individuals, and national, provincial, district and local-levels of government.
The keynote speaker will be Professor Mick Moore, Chief Executive Officer of the International Centre for Tax and Development in the UK, and followed by a panel discussion with:
- Allan Bird, Governor, East Sepik Province
- Pauline Bre, Acting Commissioner – Taxation, Internal Revenue Commission
- Zanie Theron, Managing Partner, KPMG PNG
- Martin Brash (moderator), Executive Director, Tanorama Limited
The Toktok Bilong Strongim Nesen series are inclusive events. This discussion will be translated by a sign language interpreter for accessibility to people with hearing impairment, while the venue is wheelchair accessible.