Tunisia

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes is the multilateral framework within which work in the area of tax transparency and exchange of information is carried out by over 130 jurisdictions which participate in the work of the Global Forum on an equal footing.

The Global Forum is charged with in-depth monitoring and peer review of the implementation of the standards of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes. These standards are primarily reflected in the 2002 OECD Model Agreement on Exchange of Information on Tax Matters and its commentary, and in Article 26 of the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital and its commentary as updated in 2004, which has been incorporated in the UN Model Tax Convention.

The standards provide for international exchange on request of foreseeably relevant information for the administration or enforcement of the domestic tax laws of a requesting party. “Fishing expeditions” are not authorised, but all foreseeably relevant information must be provided, including bank information and information held by fiduciaries, regardless of the existence of a domestic tax interest or the application of a dual criminality standard.

All members of the Global Forum, as well as jurisdictions identified by the Global Forum as relevant to its work, are being reviewed. This process is undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 reviews assess the quality of a jurisdiction’s legal and regulatory framework for the exchange of information, while Phase 2 reviews look at the practical implementation of that framework. Some Global Forum members are undergoing combined – Phase 1 plus Phase 2 – reviews. The ultimate goal is to help jurisdictions to effectively implement the international standards of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes.

The Open Government Review of Tunisia is the first of its kind analysing a country’s open government policies and practices and their institutional and legal frameworks for implementation against OECD instruments. The analysis focuses on how public sector’s openness, transparency and accountability can be enhanced and therefore promote trust in government, in assessing : coherence and coordination of open government policies; citizens’ participation in policymaking; public financial management; integrity and anti-corruption initiatives; and the role of Information and Communication Technologies and Social Media. It also includes case studies of open government and local development. By bringing together a multitude of OECD instruments and expertise in different areas of public governance, the Review provides Tunisian policymakers, public sector officials and civil society activists with practical indications on how to improve and successfully implement their national open government agenda. In addition, the Review contains a list of recommendations that have been included in Tunisia’s first Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership.