With the participation of top level authorities of the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT), the XVI CeATS Technical Conference was held on November 7 and 8 in the City of Cordoba, Argentina. The purpose of these meetings is to exchange experiences, mutual collaboration and technical assistance between the municipalities in Argentina and abroad.

The participation of the CIAT Executive Secretary and the Director of International Cooperation and Taxation, Márcio Ferreira Verdi and Gonzalo Arias, respectively, is framed within the cooperation agreement signed last year between this organization and the Center of Subnational Tax Administrations (CeATS), for the purpose of coordinating agendas in areas of common interest, thereby allowing for achieving synergies as a result of carrying out joint activities and sharing knowledge and ideas, among other things.

The meeting was inaugurated by Mr. Carlos Walter, President of CeATS and Governmental Administrator of Public Revenues (AGIP) of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. He pointed out “the importance of counting on more modern and forceful tax administrations with the necessary tools” as a way of strengthening a State that may be ever closer to the citizens and his needs. In this regard, he noted that “tax autarchy is a management model that has proved to be effective since it allows greater flexibility for combatting evasion”. Likewise, he highlighted the fact that there are more than ten provinces with autarchic tax administrations.

On the other hand, according to Mr. Márcio Ferreira Verdi, it is “difficult to speak of sustainable measures if resources in the region are not balanced”. He also expressed concern because “the technological gap is widening” according to each country’s development. By way of conclusion he stated that in order to be more effective, tax administrations “should not only be content with fulfilling the budgetary collection goals, but rather the reduction of the evasion indexes should be their permanent objective”.

Over 180 officials representing various subnational tax administrations will discuss: “The Perception of Risk: generation of significant and lasting actions”. The main focus will be on voluntary compliance at two levels: medium and long-term by taking into account the development of tax awareness and culture and within short term, the generation of the sense of risk.

Photo caption, left to right: Carlos Walter, President of CeATS and Government Administrator of Public Income (AGIP) of CABA; Marcio Ferreira Verdi, Executive Secretary of CIAT; and Carlos Rubinstein, General Collection Sub-Director of the General Revenue Directorate (DGR)