UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed a distinguished group of 25 tax experts from around the world, including Pakistan, to serve as members of the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters for the 2021 to 2025 term, according to an announcement.

The Pakistani expert named to the committee is: Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, who is the Director General of the International Taxes, Federal Board of Revenue, Islamabad.

The UN Chief’s Deputy Spokesman, Farhan Haq, who made the announcement at the regular briefing, said that the UN Tax Committee guides countries’ efforts to advance stronger and more forward-looking tax policies adapted to the realities of globalized trade and investment, an increasingly digitalized economy and worsening environmental degradation.

The committee, he said, assisted countries in their efforts to prevent double or multiple taxation as well as non-taxation, broaden their tax base, strengthen their tax administrations, and curb international tax evasion and avoidance.

In welcoming the appointments, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram said, “I am delighted to see that such a diverse and capable group of experts has been appointed.”

“I have high expectations for the Committee’s continued success in challenging times, which are nevertheless full of opportunity to stem the tide of tax-related illicit financial flows and shore up developing country capacities to mobilize and invest domestic resources in their own development,” he added.

The UN Tax Committee fosters international cooperation on domestic and international tax matters, according to the announcement. It works closely with observers from government, civil society, business and academia, to develop guidance and encourage an inclusive setting of norms and policies.

The new Committee membership brings together tax practitioners with expertise in a wide range of areas, such as double tax treaties, transfer pricing, avoiding and resolving tax disputes, taxation of the extractive industries, taxation of the digital economy, environmental taxation, and value-added taxes.