For Pacific Island countries to reform and enhance their tax systems, it is imperative to incorporate innovative approaches and collaborate with local, regional and international partners.
This was the sentiment shared by the outgoing chair of Pacific Island Tax Administrators Association (PITAA) Executive Committee and proxy to the chief executive officer of Fiji Revenue and Customs Services, Kelerayani Dawai at the 20th PITAA Annual Heads Meeting in Mount Hagen, Western Highlands.
The opening was held on 25th September 2023, where 44 delegates are attending the annual meeting from 13 PITAA member countries and 11 partner organizations.
The meeting concludes on 27 September 2023.
“The Pacific region, with its unique characteristics, will play an increasingly significant role on the global stage, our responsibilities are substantial, but so too are our abilities,” Dawai said.
“Combining this with improved cooperation among tax authorities, policymakers, development partners, businesses, and others will enable the pooling of expertise, resources, and perspectives leading to the development of innovative strategies that promote sustainable taxation practices, thus contributing to social and economic goals nationally and regionally.
“This provides a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and developing strategies that will contribute to a sustainable future for the Pacific.”
Delivering the keynote address, the acting Prime Minister of PNG, William Duma called on tax administrators to embrace strategies that collect taxes fairly, while nurturing businesses that generate revenue.
“In the realm of fiscal sustainability, our nations grapple with the challenge of maintaining financial stability while striving for development,” Duma said.
“The stability and growth potential of tax revenue sources must be explored, as overreliance on volatile sources can destabilize our fiscal standing.
“To uplift the well-being of our people, we must efficiently extract a significant portion of our economic activity through taxation, an endeavor that necessitates improvement in tax administration.”
Duma highlighted the need of tax systems to adapt to the rapid technological advancements by embracing it to accomplish efficiency and precision.