Statement by India at the 66th Session of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD under Item 2(a)- Means to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 10 delivered by Mr. Animesh Choudhury, First Secretary on 24th June 2019 in Geneva.

Thank You Mr. President,

At the outset, India would like to thank the distinguished panellists for their insightful and enriching presentations.

Mr. President,

2. India strongly believes that there is an urgent need to address inequalities both within and between countries to attain the goals envisaged in SDG 10. We believe that tax revenue remains the most important means for developing countries for mobilising resources to meet the ambitious targets of the 2030 Agenda and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Hence there is a need for ensuring equitable sharing of tax revenue on cross-border transactions.

Mr. President,

4. Tax revenue is the lifeblood of the State. It has direct relevance to the illicit financial flows, especially out of developing countries as well as in creating the right international system for the movement of finance. As is widely recognised in a world of cross-border trade, investment and finance, there are limits to what can be done by domestic policy alone, necessitating strengthened international cooperation in tax matters.

5. As for multilateralism, while it is seen as faltering on many fronts, it has been and remains conspicuously absent in matters of international tax cooperation. At present, the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation on tax matters is the only body in the UN with a mandate to discuss tax related issues.

6. The UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters is an important mechanism but is constrained in terms of its mandate and resources. It is not an intergovernmental body. The issue of upgrading this Committee into an intergovernmental body to give full and equal voice and representation to developing countries has been a long standing demand of developing countries. Its 25 members, while nominated by Governments, are appointed by the UN Secretary General and work in their personal capacity. The Committee is also perennially resource-constrained.

Mr. President,

7. The Addis Agenda recognises that the foremost driver of domestic resource mobilisation is economic growth which requires governments to strengthen tax administration, implement policies to enlarge the tax base to generate additional resources and combat corruption in all its forms.

Mr. President,

8. India believes that globalisation demands a more participatory, transparent, accountable and democratic global governance structure on tax issues.

Thank You.