The opening of the Asia-Pacific office in Malaysia is very much in tandem with the rapid growth of the regional economies. With globalisation and the ever-expanding business landscape in region, IBFD identified an urgent need to have a direct presence in Asia-Pacific. Such specialised and independent services which are of international standards, are fast becoming an important part of today’s business practices.

It is vital that IBFD is accessible locally to:

• provide outstanding support to its growing client base
• be the first to report on local developments
• have improved access to highly qualified experts from the region

Aurobindo Ponniah, Head of the Asia-Pacific Office:

"The 21st century is seen as the Asian century especially with the growth of the Chinese and Indian economies.  We foresee a lot of changes in the tax and investment legislation of countries in the region, and it was only natural that our organisation would want to be part of these exciting new developments”

Services offered by the Asia-Pacific Office

• International Tax Academy Courses in Kuala Lumpur. Details for the first course "Corporate Financing on 23 & 24 July, 2007 will be available shortly. Click here to request a brochure by email.
• IBFD Government Consultancy
• Impartial Tax Research
• Library and Information Centre Services
• Publish an article or even a book with IBFD

Aurobindo Ponniah - Head of the Asia-Pacific Office

Mr. Ponniah is also the Managing Editor of the journal, Asia-Pacific Tax Bulletin, and, oversees the Asia-Pacific Taxation & Investment Database. In addition, he plays a key role in IBFD's documentation and research in the Asia-Pacific region, and on various research projects involving government consulting, training, tax treaties, e-commerce, etc.  Prior to joining IBFD in 2000, Mr. Ponniah worked for the tax and legal advisory practice of an international accounting firm primarily involved in financial markets and corporate taxation advisories to private clients and government/statutory bodies.

To celebrate the opening, a seminar was attended by 82 tax administrators, academics and practitioners from 11 countries. The following is a short summary. In his keynote speech, Mr Shahmin, the Deputy Director General of Corporate Affairs in the Malaysian Inland Revenue Board (IRB), informed the audience that IRB has sought IBFD’s knowledge and expertise in various projects ranging from comparative tax research to the training of the IR officers. In conclusion, he said that IBFD’s presence in Malaysia will raise tax competencies in the region and promote Malaysia as a knowledge hub in Asia and the Pacific.

In respect of the EU tax aspects of investments into and from Asia and the Pacific, Professor Guglielmo Maisto, Chairman of IBFD’s Board of Trustees, covered the issues being addressed by EU member countries in reaction to changing business environments in Asia and the rest of the world, including competition from smaller new member states with low corporate tax rates as well as tax havens, transfer pricing developments and corporate tax reform.

Based on the presentations from various speakers, the experiences in China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam show that a successful tax reform involves the following key factors:

• the approach of tax reform, including whether the change will be piecemeal or holistic and whether the change will make the country more competitive. The common objective is to improve the taxation system to be more simplified, clear and transparent;
• the scope of tax reform, for example the simultaneous introduction of rate adjustments and base widening. The degree of diversity of the reform could affect the economic climate as well as the political arena;
• the implementation of tax reform which covers the psychological readiness of the taxpayers, tax administration issues, technology and enforcement; and
• debate and consultation between the government and taxpayers.

For further details about any of these presentations please contact Aurobindo Ponniah, Head of Asia-Pacific Office

Willem Falter, IBFD CEO: "When visiting Asia I frequently hear that IBFD is the tax world's best kept secret! With the opening of our new office we intend to rectify this. Our loyal clients in Asia-Pacific, many of whom have been clients for as long as I can remember, are testament to the quality and range of information we offer. The opening of our new office will increasingly support these loyal clients, spread the word regarding IBFD, and help us find new talented individuals to contribute to our future. Our goal is to become THE Portal to Cross-Border Tax Expertise for Asia-Pacific."