47 Japanese economists back global call for action on tax havens ahead of G7 Summit

Publicado: 24th Mayo 2016

47 economists and experts from across Japan, including Katsuhito Iwai, the renowned economist and professor emeritus at Tokyo University, have come together to urge G7 governments to take a lead in tackling tax havens at the G7 Leaders Summit in Ise-Shima, Japan on 25 – 26 May.  Japan’s Finance Minister Taro Aso has said that the G7 should be an important milestone in the fight against tax evasion.  

The 47 Japanese experts are adding their names to those of more than 300 economists from 30 countries, including Thomas Piketty and Jeffrey Sachs, who signed an open letter to world leaders calling for an end to tax havens ahead of an international anti-corruption summit in London on 12 May.  

The economists letters state that "territories allowing assets to be hidden in shell companies or which encourage profits to be booked by companies that do no business there are distorting the working of the global economy." To counter this, they urge governments to agree new global rules requiring companies to publicly report taxable activities in every country they operate, and to ensure all territories publicly disclose information about the real owners of companies and trusts.

Professor Emeritus Katsuhito Iwai, University of Tokyo, said: "People say that when 10 economists are in a room they will come up with 11 different economic policy recommendations. Yet on the issue of tax dodging economists are speaking as one.  They want to see an end to tax havens which allow wealthy individuals and multinational companies to hide their money from the tax authorities."   

Notas para editores

Oxfam and the Forum for Global Solidarity Tax coordinated the open letter in Japan.

Signatories include: Professor Kimi, Sakurai Rikkyo University; Professor Keiko Takaki Obirin, University; Professor Yuichi Sasaoka, Graduate School of Governance Studies, Meiji University; Professor Yoshinori Hiroi, Kyoto University; Professor Yoshikazu Miki  Aoyama Gakuin University; Professor Chika Mochizuki, Ritsumeikan University; Professor Fumio Kaneko, Yokohama City University; Professor Chikako Nakayama, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies; Associate Professor Kimie Tanigawa, Chiba University of Commerce; Professor Hirokuni, Honda Dokkyo University; Associate Professor Ken Hirano, Chuo University; Professor Masaaki Ohashi, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo; Professor Hisao Namekata, Bunkyo University; Professor Koyu Furusawa, Kokugakuin University; Professor Toru Morotomi, Kyoto University Graduate School of Economics; Professor Emeritus Katsuhito Iwai, Tokyo University; Professor Hiroshi Onishi, Keio University; Professor Yoko Kino, Toyo University;  Visiting Professor Takeshi  Aoki, Chiba University of Commerce; Professor Osamu  Niikura Aoyama Gakuin University; Professor Michiya Kumaoka, Japan Institute of the Moving Image ; Professor Makoto Nagatsuka Hitotsubashi University; Associate Professor, Michiro Wani, Yokohama City University; Professor Emeritus Takao Kamikawa,Yokohama National University; Board Member Hiroshi Goda, The Institute of Politics and Economy; Professor Emeritus Jun Nishikawa, Waseda University; Professor Kunihiko Shirai, Aoyama Gakuin University; Professor Aki Aneha Komazawa University; Professor Emeritus Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kokushikan University / Nagoya University; City Council Member Ikuko Hebiishi, Fukushima Prefecture Koriyama City Council; Professor Fumitaka Iwanami, Komazawa University; Professor Ken Endo, Hokkaido University; Economist Makoto Ito, Professor Satoru Ito, Nihon University; Professor Emeritus Terimi Terao, Nagoya Institute of Technology; Professor Emeritus Kanji Ishii, Tokyo University; Professor Satoko Mouri, Myojo University; Associate Professor Korefumi Miyata Komazawa University; (former) Professor Masahiro Kuwabara, Aichi Gakuin University; Associate Professor Natsuno Kikuchi, Nagoya City University; Professor Taisei Kaizoji, International Christian University; Professor Katsuhiko Mouri, International Christian University, Professor  Takashi Kibe, International Christian University; Professor with Special Appointment Shin Chiba, International Christian University; (former) Professor Masaki Ina International Christian University; Professor Yasuhiko Itoh, Nagoya City University; Professor Takehiko Uemura, Yokohama City University

Información de contacto

Oxfam - Maiko Morishita, Japan: email: maiko@oxfam.jp, mobile: +81-90-8082-0198

Forum for Global Solidarity Tax - Tetsuji Tanaka, Japan: email: tetsuji@jca.apc.org or mobile: +81-90-3598-3251