Financial Transparency Coalition

The latest edition of TaxCast, produced by the Tax Justice Network, is here! The monthly podcast, produced by Naomi Fowler, focuses on tax, corruption and illicit flows. In this month's edition, Naomi speaks with the Director of Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Action Centre, examines the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists' latest data drop, LuxLeaks, and much more.

BRISBANE—With the release of the Brisbane communiqué, G20 leaders have acknowledged the cracks in our financial system, yet they haven’t acted on some common sense steps to bolster the fight against illicit financial flows. “It’s good that G20 leaders have been discussing the ravaging effects tax evasion, avoidance and money laundering have on our economies, but they seem to discuss the problem every year. There is a strong and growing consensus across experts, business leaders, and even the accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers on some common sense financial transparency measures,” said Porter McConnell, Manager of the Financial Transparency Coalition....

The G8 and World Bank argue that the recent huge wave of private sector investment in agriculture increases innovation, jobs and food output. But is this correct? Forensic new research from influential campaign group, GRAIN suggests the opposite is true. GRAIN’s report, Feeding the 1 percent, produces evidence which indicates the avalanche of investment after the 2008 global food crisis is predatory and that investors have “little or no background in agriculture”.

Starting tomorrow a group of government officials and experts belonging to the world’s leading anti-money laundering organisation – the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – will be meeting in Paris. On the agenda is the adoption of a document on an issue that has major implications for the fight against crime, corruption and tax evasion around the world. It’s a shame nobody outside of this small circle of experts from governments and international organisations has had a chance to see the document before it comes out. According to the FATF website, at its upcoming plenary meeting the organisation will adopt...