Skopje, 28 November 2024 (MIA) – Macedonia will continue its efforts in the coming period to sign multilateral competent authority agreement for the automatic exchange of information, thus joining the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries in the global fight against tax evasion, Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska said, who is participating at the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in Paraguay.

She said that the in the implementation process of the automatic exchange standards, we have support from the OECD, which provides significant opportunities for countries willing to share information aimed at combating tax evasion. She underscored that the most important aspect is the implementation of the laws that are being adopted, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release.

“The country is already receiving technical support from the OECD, and I believe that in the near future, we will create a tax administration that will deliver quality, accurate, and reliable data, given that there are currently eight separate systems from which information is obtained,” she said.

She also underlined that digitization of processes will be accelerated, which is a government priority, supported by the formation of the new Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Dimitrieska-Kochoska noted that one of the aspect of the implementation process has already been addressed, specifically in the banking sector, which is stable and strong. She also said that with the resolution of the second issue, concerning tax administration, the country can expect to be included in the list of countries applying the automatic exchange of information standards by 2027.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the automatic exchange of information (AEOI) standards are an essential tool for jurisdictions in their efforts to combat tax evasion and ensure the integrity of their tax systems. The Global Forum plays an important role in capacity building, supporting the rapid and effective implementation of these standards by more than 170 member countries.

Photo: Ministry of Finance