Christian Aid

Christian Aid works to expose the scandal of poverty, to help in practical ways to root it out from the world, and to challenge and change the systems that favour the rich and powerful over the poor and marginalised.

3 June 2010: An email from Judith Cavanagh, Trace the Tax Campaign Manager, Christian Aid

Dear Friend,

There is one thing I know about poverty: people made it, so people can end it.

Here's one thing we can do right now to help end poverty: put an end to tax dodging by unscrupulous businesses operating internationally.

For every US$10 in aid that flows into poor countries, US$15 slips out through tax dodging.

The new Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, supported measures to stop tax dodging when he was in opposition. Now he's in a position to make that happen.

Please co-sign my letter to Vince Cable and urge him to put country-by-country reporting at the top of his agenda.

The situation is stark and urgent. Christian Aid estimates that tax dodging costs poor countries US$160 billion a year. This is money that should be spent building schools and hospitals.

So we're asking for something quite simple: companies should be forced to report the profits they make - and the tax they pay - in all countries in which they operate. In accountancy-speak, this is known as country-by-country reporting.

Country-by-country reporting will shine a light on money being taken out of poor countries such as Zambia and poured into rich tax havens such as Switzerland. It's based on the principle that big multinational companies should pay the tax bill they owe, where they owe it. This will help the developing world get a fair deal.

This issue needs to be front and centre - and you can help me put it there.

Now that Vince Cable is in the Cabinet, call on him to make tax transparency a government policy priority:

http://action.christianaid.org.uk/letter

Over the coming months, I am going to intensify our campaign for country-by-country tax reporting to make sure that developing countries can rely on the tax revenues they are entitled to.

An end to poverty - it's a vision we all share. Together we can make it a reality. I hope you will join us in this new fight for justice.

Thanks,

Judith Cavanagh
Trace the Tax Campaign Manager
Christian Aid

Maggie Burton-Page

maggiebp@freeuk.com

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