This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here.  
  • Delicious




UK/Caribbean Forum 2000 To Focus on Carribean Concerns

Andrew Mair, Tax-news.com, London

05 November 2000

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office will host a 2-day meeting with Caribbean leaders today and tomorrow which will include talks on the OECD's 'harmful tax' agenda, money laundering, EU trade relations, and Britain's relationship with its Overseas Territories.

The UK/Caribbean Forum 2000 will be co-chaired by the British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, and Trinidad and Tobago's Foreign Minister, Ralph Maraj, the current chairman of the CARICOM Council of Foreign Ministers. Prime Minister Tony Blair will also hold a reception for Caribbean Ministers prior to the Conference.

Antigua and Barbuda High Commissioner and CARICOM's co-ordinator for the Conference, Ronald Sanders, last week hailed the conference as a major event: "The British Government will have 7 Ministers at the Forum addressing a range of issues including development, debt, education, judicial co-operation, the ACP-EU convention on trade and aid, the threat to Caribbean offshore financial sectors by the OECD and the deportation of criminals," Mr Sanders said. "At a time when the Caribbean is facing an uphill task to command the attention of the international community, the British government is demonstrating seriousness in dealing with issues of concern to the Caribbean."

With the OECD having recently backed down from its hardline approach to "harmful" tax regimes by delaying publication of its Financial Action Task Force blacklist, this week's talks will take on a different dimension and should be more productive now that offshore jurisdictions have another 12 months to resolve their differences with the OECD.

.

 

 






Write a comment