Increased domestic resource mobilization is widely accepted as crucial for countries to successfully meet the challenges of development and achieve higher living standards for all their people.  Additional tax revenues enable governments to simultaneously improve their competitiveness and promote social cohesion through increased spending on education, infrastructure and innovation.

Latin American countries have made great strides over the past two decades in raising tax revenues as is demonstrated in Revenue Statistics in Latin America which is launched today by the CIAT, ECLAC and the OECD. It shows that the average tax to GDP ratio in 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) rose almost continuously from 14.9% in 1990 to 19.2% in 2009. This increase reflects strong economic growth, taxation of non-renewable natural resources, and better management of tax administrations.

Despite these improvements, significant gaps between Latin America and OECD countries remain. The average tax to GDP ratio in OECD countries is much higher than in Latin American countries (33.8% compared to 19.2% in 2009, respectively). As the countries in the region still find themselves in relatively strong economic conditions, now is the time to consider reforms that generate long-term, stable resources for governments to finance development.

Uruguay has signed 7 new agreements providing for the exchange of tax information, showing its willingness to implement the global standards. This brings to a total of 18 (1) the number of agreements Uruguay has with other countries, allowing it to move up to the OECD’s list of those that have ‘substantially implemented the standard for exchange of information’.

Uruguay’s actions follow the progress report delivered by the Global Forum on Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information to the Cannes G20 Summit, which suggested that Uruguay still had to address a number of issues for the effective exchange of information.

“The signing of these new agreements shows that Uruguay is committed to moving quickly towards full transparency and effective information exchange,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. “I congratulate the government for swiftly acting on one of the Global Forum’s recommendations and encourage it to fully implement the global standard.”

Los informes relativos a la evolución del “Comercio exterior global” de cada país miembro de la ALADI se elaboran con el propósito de analizar el comportamiento coyuntural de sus exportaciones e importaciones intrarregionales y extrarregionales, por país de destino y de origen respectivamente.

Dicho análisis incluye también una comparación entre los mencionados flujos comerciales y aquéllos registrados en igual período del año anterior.

Documento elaborado por la Secretaría General de la ALADI en cumplimiento de su Programa de Actividades para el año 2012, Actividad III.9.

Documento completo en: goo.gl/tLwyU