On 17 May 2013, at the invitation of the Chair of the OECD Forum on Tax Administration, Mrs Josephine Feehily, and the host country, Russia, Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya addressed the Forum in Moscow on the subject of securing revenue and managing compliance from the Customs perspective.
Having briefly presented the WCO, its Revenue Package and Customs’ working methods at borders in comparison with those of tax authorities, the Secretary General took up four topics relevant to the Forum, namely information exchange; post-clearance audit; cooperation with the private sector, including AEO programmes; and transfer pricing. He underlined the importance of cooperation between Customs and Tax authorities at national level in these areas, as both administrations have similar tasks in ensuring compliance of tax payers, with the difference that Customs also plays a central role in managing a variety of risks at the border.
In conclusion, he stated that the WCO would enhance its work together with the OECD in relevant areas through the organization of sub-regional workshops on transfer pricing and by the two Organizations participating in each other’s meetings, where appropriate. This would hopefully pave the way for enhancing cooperation between Customs and Tax administrations at national level.