Tax officials from across the Pacific gathered today at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi, Fiji, for the opening of a five-day Regional Workshop on Compliance Risk Management (CRM). The workshop is jointly hosted by the Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association (PITAA) and the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC).
Held from 13 to 17th July 2026, the workshop brings together 30 participants from 13 PITAA and PFTAC member administrations. These include the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The workshop was officially opened by Chief Guest Mr. Michael Cokanasiga, CEO of Tonga’s Ministry of Revenue and Customs and Chair of the PITAA Executive Committee, who urged delegates to adopt a practical, step-by-step approach to compliance risk management.
“In our resource-constrained environments, effective compliance risk management is our most strategic tool. It allows us to maximise revenue mobilisation, ensure fairness across the tax system and, perhaps most importantly, maintain and build taxpayer trust,” he said.
PITAA Head of Secretariat, Mr. Petero Maivucevuce, welcomed delegates and reaffirmed the Secretariat’s role in connecting tax administrations across the region.
“PITAA exists to connect tax administrations across the Pacific so we can learn from each other, build practical capacity, and advance resilient, fair, and efficient revenue systems for our peoples,” he said.
The workshop addresses a challenge PITAA members know well. CRM is a core discipline for modern tax administration, yet its implementation across the region has been uneven. Limited staffing, data, and IT infrastructure have often slowed progress for member administrations.
Over the coming week, the programme aims to build a shared understanding of proportionate, risk-based compliance approaches suited to resource-constrained environments. It will also equip participants with practical tools and minimum-viable frameworks they can apply immediately and launch a sustained PITAA Compliance Risk Management Community of Practice.
Facilitators Gary Andrews, Stephen Howlin, and Kriti Velji will lead sessions on CRM foundations, governance, and framework design. Each day combines technical instruction with hands-on application, including breakout sessions on taxpayer segmentation, hidden economy risks, and the use of data and intelligence in low-capacity settings.
A highlight of the week will be a series of country presentations, where delegations share their own CRM experiences, challenges, and reform priorities with peers. Day one features Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, and Solomon Islands. Day two will focus on hidden economy risks, with presentations from Fiji and Tonga. Day three will showcase Niue’s approach to CRM methodologies.
The workshop will close on Friday, 17th July, with country action plans, an evaluation session, and bilateral meeting opportunities for delegations. It is part of PITAA’s ongoing partnership with PFTAC to strengthen compliance capability across the region, with follow-up webinars and targeted bilateral technical assistance to support each member’s action roadmap.
By strengthening CRM capability across the region, PITAA and PFTAC aim to help member administrations protect their revenue bases and use scarce resources effectively. This supports fiscal resilience for Pacific Island countries at a time of continued economic uncertainty.For more information about PITAA’s regional capacity-building initiatives, please contact the PITAA Secretariat at team@pitaa.org