Britain to help developing countries build sustainable tax regime

Britain will help some developing countries set up sustainable tax regimes that can provide the countries with reliable sources of tax revenue, the British Department for International Development (DFID) said Wednesday. As part the commitment, the British government has set up a new Developing Countries Capacity Building Unit, funded by the DFID and run by the Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the DFID said in a statement. The statement came after British government officials hosted a delegation from the Pakistani Federal Board of Revenue in London on Wednesday. The new unit will provide expertise and assistance to help deliver long-term support to revenue authorities in developing countries through both long term and short term missions, the DFID said. Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa are the four developing countries currently in partnership with the new Unit, according to the DFID. "The British government is committed to supporting developing countries in their efforts to collect the taxes they are due," the DFID statement said. It added, "This is about providing expertise and enabling developing countries to establish sustainable tax regimes that can provide reliable long-term sources of revenue."