Parliament meets today; EU blacklist removal top on the agenda to

As Parliament convenes for its session today, the government will be making significant strides towards the removal of the country’s name from the European Union’s ‘blacklist’ of countries that have been deemed as non-cooperative on issues related to tax matters.

The government’s efforts to address this issue have been consistently positive, and the hope is that this progress will continue to be sustained in the future.

With the support of Parliament, the government is confident that it will be able to overcome this challenge and emerge as a country that is fully committed to transparency and cooperation on tax matters.

A new list featuring twelve countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, was published on February 20 this year.

Consequently, the Antiguan government is taking action to adopt legislation that will align with the requirements set by the European Union (EU).

The government has engaged in extensive discussions with the EU to establish a common position, and the pending legislation is believed to be an effort to meet the country’s obligations in this regard.

This action is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with international standards and regulations.

Meanwhile, in today’s session, parliamentarians will seek the approval of a proposed Revenue Miscellaneous Amendment Act.

This act aims to eliminate the discretionary power previously held by ministers to grant tax waivers.

As a result, the Environment Levy and the Revenue Recovery Charge will be impacted by this amendment.

While the discretion on import duty will still be retained, it will be capped at a maximum of 50 percent.