The initial sessions of the Fiscal Studies Center (CEF) were held on December 2 and 3, in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Center, an entity with juridical personality, under the scope of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, created through Law N° 18362 of 10.06.2008, will be in charge of counseling, research, training and development in taxation and public finances.

Participating in these sessions were the Minister of Economy and Finance of Uruguay, Fernando Lorenzo, the Deputy General Director of Tax Studies of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IEF) of Spain, Jesús Rodríguez Márquez and the CIAT Tax Studies and Research Manager, Miguel Pecho. There were also representatives from the local private and academic sectors.

Based on the presentations by the IEF and CIAT, the participants discussed CEF’s possible government and management schemes, the research and analysis priorities for improving fiscal and tax policy in Uruguay, the training needs of public officials and the possible alternatives for cooperation with the Center at the regional and international levels.

From left to right: Miguel Pecho, Jesús Rodríguez Márquez y Nelson Hernández, former Director of the DGI of Uruguay. Picture by courtesy of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uruguay.