On June 24 and 25, 2024, a Workshop on Digital VAT (Cross-Border Services) and Tax Policy with a Gender Approach” was held in the city of San Salvador, El Salvador, organized by the Executive Secretariat of the Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic Finance Ministers Council (SECOSEFIN), the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT).

The event brought together members of the COSEFIN Tax Policy Working Group from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic, as well as representatives of CIAT and GIZ. The meeting presented the current situation of the tax systems of COSEFIN member countries, with emphasis on digital VAT and taxation with a gender approach. Experiences from other countries, their challenges, lessons learned, and best practices were also presented. This will strengthen knowledge on these issues for the design of tax policies adapted to the current reality, fair and equitable.

On June 24, the topic of Digital VAT: a challenge and an opportunity was discussed. This session was attended by Mr. Raúl Zambrano, CIAT Director of Technical Assistance and Innovation, who presented the DEC (Digital Economy Compliance) tool, a system aimed at tax administrations to manage digital economy taxes, developed by CIAT with the support of the Norwegian cooperation NORAD and GIZ.

The June 25 session focused on the topic of including a gender approach in tax policy as a way to reduce disparities, as well as to strengthen administrative efficiency and promote an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery. On this occasion, Mr. Alejandro Juárez, CIAT Director of Human Talent Development of Tax Administrations, made a presentation on the Study on Taxation and Gender in SICA countries, conducted by CIAT with the support of GIZ.

The German government through the Good Financial Governance Program, implemented on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and CIAT provide support to SECOSEFIN in order to promote the economic recovery of the countries of the region.