(Yicai) Sept. 10 -- In the morning of Sept. 9, 2025, the 6th Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum commenced in Kathmandu, Nepal. Around 400 delegates participated in the Forum, including heads and deputy heads of tax authorities from 45 jurisdictions, as well as representatives and experts from 13 international organizations and many renowned enterprises. 

The 6th BRITACOF is hosted by the Inland Revenue Department of Nepal, aiming to explore new pathways for Belt and Road tax administration cooperation and inject tax momentum into high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

The Forum is comprised of Council Meetings and Plenary Sessions. The moderator of Council Meetings is Mr. Wang Daoshu, Executive Secretary of the BRITACOM Secretariat and Deputy Commissioner of the State Taxation Administration (STA) of China. On 9 September, the Council Meeting declared Mr. Madan Dahal, Director General of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) of Nepal, to be the President of the 6th BRITACOF and Chair of the BRITACOM Council. Besides, it introduced the change in the Council Vice-Chair as Mr. Gustavo González Amilivia assumed the position automatically after serving as Director General of the General Directorate of Taxation of Uruguay. Afterwards, it announced new members of the Advisory Board--Mr. James Badenach, Managing Director and Head of Alvarez & Marsal Tax, Asia Pacific and Ms. Giorgia Maffini, Tax Director of PwC (UK). The Council Meeting also introduced eight outcomes which will be released during the Forum and approved the first two outcomes, that is, the Tax Administration Product Portfolio (V1.0) and the Taxpayer Service Product Portfolio (V1.0).

The Forum started with a welcome address by Mr. Madan Dahal. Mr. Dahal extended warm welcome to all delegates on behalf of Inland Revenue Department of Nepal and expressed his gratitude for the presence of all delegates. Then, the Forum was inaugurated by lighting on the Panas by Mr. Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Secretary (Revenue) of Ministry of Finance of Nepal and Mr. Wang Daoshu, Executive Secretary of the BRITACOM Secretariat and Deputy Commissioner of STA China.

Mr. Wang Daoshu updated work progress of the BRITACOM as Executive Secretary of the BRITACOM Secretariat. Mr. Wang noted that since the establishment of the BRITACOM, all relevant parties have adhered to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit, achieving a series of fruitful results in areas such as tax administration collaboration, optimization of taxpayer services, and tax policy research. This Forum will focus on the implementation of Tax Administration Product Portfolio and Taxpayer Service Product Portfolio, which will further standardize tax administration processes, enhance the quality of taxpayer service, and provide practical and replicable solutions for tax authorities worldwide.

Mr. Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Secretary (Revenue) of Ministry of Finance of Nepal delivered a special address at the Forum. In his address, Mr. Ghimire warmly welcomed all participants and said that this Forum reflects the shared determination of all parties to work together towards building effective, fair, and resilient global tax structures. The Forum has provided a platform to discuss issues that face all tax authorities around the world and try to find collaborative solutions to them. Nepal will continue to join hands with BRITACOM partners in the shared journey of the future and remain committed to working with BRITACOM partners to address cross-border challenges.
Mr. Benjamin Chan, Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, China delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. In his speech, Mr. Chan pointed out that BRITACOF is an important annual event to foster Belt and Road tax administration cooperation through the sharing of experience and expertise among tax administrations, tax specialists, academics, professionals and business community. Hong Kong China values the opportunity to connect with international counterparts and is committed to fostering a spirit of deeper cooperation and to exploring new avenues for collaboration. 

His Excellency Mr. Chen Song, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Nepal, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Mr. Chen considers this Forum as a crucial opportunity to clear obstacles and inject momentum into the economic and trade cooperation of BRI jurisdictions through tax ties. The continuous deepening of economic and trade cooperation cannot be separated from an efficient and coordinated tax environment. Relying on the platform of the BRITACOF, relevant parties should deepen tax administration cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and contribute to regional prosperity and stability.

The Forum will last for three days, during which multiple keynote speeches and panel discussions will be held on six key topics: tax administration product portfolio, taxpayer service product portfolio, tax rule of law governance, tax administration transparency, tax and fee payment services, and digital technology application.