THE GSMA Board whas expressed its sadness at the unavoidable cancellation of MWC Barcelona 2020.

"This decision is painful, but we believe the correct one. Health and safety are the priorities of all of the GSMA Board and Mobile Network Operators. Our sincere thoughts are with those affected in China and around the world in these trying times," the statement read.

"Our vision at the GSMA is to unlock the power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. MWC is crucial to convene and advance the industry and mobile ecosystem. The mobile industry is committed to harnessing the power of mobile technology and connectivity to transform the lives of billions of people around the world, and we are committed to a great MWC Barcelona 2021.

"The Board thanks GSMA management and the Host City Parties for their hard work throughout this challenging and unprecedented situation. We look forward to working together again for an even better MWC Barcelona 2021.

"The GSMA Board is comprised of 25 of the world’s leading mobile operator groups. www.gsma.com/aboutus/leadership/gsma-board

Further updates from the GSMA, are on our website and can be found on www.mwcbarcelona.com.

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Shanghai and Los Angeles, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.For more information, visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

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MY BUSINESS HEALTH, a web portal designed to provide holistic support to small business owners, now features a dedicated section for those impacted by natural disasters.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell has been struck by the devastation of the recent bushfires, saying small businesses are dealing with extraordinary challenges right now.

“Small businesses in bushfire-hit areas are under enormous pressure and the difficult reality is that many will be in survival-mode for months to come,” Ms Carnell said.

“My Business Health offers simple and practical information to small business owners to help them get back on their feet.

“This includes the latest information on grants and loans being administered by state and territory governments and assistance with employer responsibilities, finances, insurance claims and tax.

“While some of these small and family business owners will be consumed with the recovery of their business – they may not be aware of the psychological distress they have experienced," Ms Carnell said.

“My Business Health was developed in consultation with leading mental health organisations including Beyond Blue and EveryMind. Our web portal now features links to Beyond Blue resources that deal with bushfire-related trauma specifically.

“Mental health is a serious issue for Australia’s small business community with the Productivity Commission finding the cost of absenteeism and presenteeism to the sector is over $17 billion per year.

“That figure is likely to be amplified in the wake of this bushfire season, so it’s really important that small business owners prioritise their wellbeing. Visiting My Business Health is an excellent starting point.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/my-business-health/home

www.

THE AUSTRALIAN Parliament’s Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade has launched a new inquiry into strengthening Australia’s relationships with Pacific region countries to meet current and emerging opportunities and challenges facing the region.

Chair of the JSCFADT, Senator David Fawcett noted that the committee was considering Australia’s engagement in the Pacific through the lens of Defence, Trade and Human Rights, in addition to this inquiry. 

Chair of the Committee’s Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee, Dave Sharma MPsaid the inquiry will seek to inform and shape the next chapter of Australia’s strengthened engagement with its Pacific neighbours.

“Australia’s relations with our Pacific neighbours are of fundamental importance and vital interest to Australia,” Mr Sharma said.

“This inquiry will provide the committee with an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of initiatives undertaken to support the ‘Step-Up’, and explore mechanisms to support increased engagement with our neighbours, including through greater involvement of non-government and community organisations.”

The committee will be seeking ideas on how Australia can build on the momentum of the Pacific Step-Up to increase engagement and linkages with Pacific Island neighbours, in support of our collective interests.

The committee welcomes submissions from any person or organisation with an interest in these issues. It especially seeks views from within Pacific island countries, those who have participated in labour mobility schemes, and those who have made Australia their permanent home, yet maintain current connections with their islands of origin.

The views of those from non-Pacific island countries with development partnerships and interests in the region are also welcomed.

Submissions addressing all or some of the terms of reference should be lodged by Friday, April 3, 2020; overseas submissions due by Friday, April 17, 2020.

Further details about the inquiry, including terms of reference, contributing a submission and, when available, details of public hearings, can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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LEADERS  from five international tax organisations have come together in Sydney this week to review the J5’s progress in their fight against transnational tax crime and set priorities for the year ahead.

The Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) was formed in 2018 after a call to arms from the OECD Taskforce on Tax Crime and has been working together to gather information, share intelligence and conduct coordinated operations, making significant progress in each country’s fight against transnational tax crime.

The J5 includes the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from the UK, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations from the US, the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD).

Together, each country is better equipped in the fight against those who commit, promote and enable international tax crimes and money laundering.

Last month, the group executed a globally coordinated day of action against an international financial institution suspected of facilitating money laundering and tax evasion. Evidence, intelligence and information collection activities such as search warrants, interviews and subpoenas were undertaken in each country and significant information was obtained and shared as a result.

Australian Taxation Office (ATO) deputy commissioner and Australia’s J5 chief, Will Day said the investigation into this financial institution and its clients is just one example of the work the ATO has been doing with the J5 to investigate Australians who are using offshore arrangements to evade their tax obligations.

“Tackling the abuse of correspondent banking arrangements was at the heart of our day of action last month, and we are looking beyond just a single financial institution in Central America," Mr Day said.

"We have fears there are many hundreds of Australians caught up in these arrangements, and working with our J5 partner agencies we are continuing to tighten the net on those who are engaging in and enabling transnational tax crime.

“The effectiveness and success of the J5 is underpinned by a strong understanding of the common risks and threats we face. By working together to identify and understand these issues, we are able to shape and strengthen our operational, tactical and strategic response to focus on those areas that cause the most impact. We’re tackling tax crime together” Mr Day said.

The group have been sharing expertise to identify the most common and impactful mechanisms, enablers and structures that are being exploited to commit transnational tax crime and will be focusing on those criminals who present the greatest threat to the J5 countries in 2020.

Simon York, chief and director of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Fraud Investigation Service said the introduction of automatic exchange of financial information between countries, registers of beneficial ownership, information from worldwide data leaks and improved tax enforcement had made hiding wealth offshore increasingly difficult.

“What this work shows is that tax evaders and organised criminals are resorting to ever more complex and obscure methods to hide their illicit gains and wealth," Mr York said.

"To stay one step ahead we have brought together world leading analysts to unpick their complex trails. Being a partner in the J5 means that we have five times the analytical capability, five times the data and five times the insight at our disposal. Harnessing this, we are now shining a light on evaders across the world, targeting our next wave of enforcement activity and ensuring no big time tax criminal remains beyond our collective reach.

“Seeing the transformation of the J5 from a group of countries with similar challenges and similar goals to a fully integrated organisation that is seeing operational successes is very exciting and should be a model for international collaboration at all levels,” said Don Fort, chief of IRS Criminal Investigation.

“The information shared, efficiencies gained, and investigations started based on the collaboration within this group have moved the needle by years in terms of results and successes. I expect 2020 will be a game changer for the J5 and criminals will not know what hit them,” Mr Fort said.

Hans van der Vlist, chief and general director Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), the Netherlands said, “The J5 challenge in the United States at the end of 2019 was important in our fight against crypto criminality. The operational cooperation within the J5 is beginning to pay off and we see that the cooperation also has an impact on local investigations. For instance, last Monday the FIOD had action days in the Netherlands in two crypto investigations."

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) chief Eric Ferron said, “To attack sophisticated criminal tax evasion, we need coordinated action and to be sharing best practices.

"This is why we value our partnership with the J5; it has allowed us to broaden our reach, better equipping all member countries to combat tax crimes. We look forward to continued collaboration and providing results as they become available.”

More information about J5 is available at ato.gov.au/j5