Financial Transparency Coalition

OSLO, Norway – Global Financial Integrity Director Raymond Baker delivered remarks today on the importance of transparency in the extractive industries at the “Global Investors for Financial Transparency” meeting in Oslo, Norway. Mr. Baker focused on the importance of country-by-country reporting requirements for oil, gas, and mining companies. Attendees included high-level Norwegian and EU elected officials, regulators, investors, and representatives of the Oslo Stock Exchange.

LONDON – FTSE 100 mining firm Kazakhmys PLC is still refusing to provide full information as to the identity of its beneficial owners, nearly one year after anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness raised concerns over alleged links between the company’s management and Nursultan Nazarbayev, the autocratic president of Kazakhstan.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Treasury Department will hold a hearing tomorrow on a proposed rule requiring banks to report information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on bank accounts held by non-U.S. residents. Currently, U.S. banks are not required to give the U.S. government information about these types of accounts.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development (Task Force) welcomed India’s announcement Thursday that it had ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Building upon India becoming a member of the Task Force in January of this year, the ratification comes as part of a broader effort by India’s government to tackle corruption and stem the flow of illicit capital flight estimated at approximately $19 billion per year.