( L - R ) Ban, Arthur BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
Prime Minister Owen Arthur Wednesday called on the United Nations to use its position to help establish rules to govern cross-border taxation issues and develop schemes to assist middle-income countries, officials here have reported.
Speaking at Govern-ment Headquarters during a courtesy call by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who wrapped up a one-week visit here yesterday, Arthur said cross-border taxation issues were becoming more important and had increased validity as the march towards a global economy continued.
A government statement said Arthur told Ban that while he acknowledged the existence of a U.N. committee dealing with taxation issues, he thought the work should now be elevated to the level of an agency.
Keen to work with UN
The Prime Minister said Barbados was keen to work with the global agency on international tax matters because it wanted to participate in legitimate business with international tax corporations and not be used for tax evasion or money-laundering purposes.
"During the meeting, the Prime Minister also stressed the importance of middle-income countries being recognised for their successes by the global community.
"He argued that whilst lesser-developed countries must continue to be given attention, there was an inefficient distortion of the flow of resources which needed to be re-examined," the statement added.
It said the Prime Minister put a case for middle-income countries to be seen as change champions and be involved in strategic alliances which could be enriching, rather than being penalised for their achievements.
"Secretary General Ban agreed with Prime Minister Arthur that countries like Barbados should be better recognised for their accomplishments.
"Noting that he was fascinated by the level of development which Barbados had achieved, he commended the country for its ability to overcome challenges such as extreme poverty," the government statement added.
Technical assistance
Ban and Arthur, the current chairman of the 15-nation Caribbean Community, also focused on the technical assistance that could be offered by the U.N. for the regional integration process, the need for a long-term approach by the international community to the challenges faced by Haiti, and the strategies to combat global warming.
In addition to meeting with Arthur, Ban also met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is currently vacationing in Barbados.
Blair, the new envoy of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East, discussed the political climate in the Middle East, a U.N. statement said.
Last week he held discussions with other top government officials, including acting Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dame Billie Miller.
