The Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association (PITAA), in collaboration with the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC), successfully hosted the Pacific Tax Technical Network Webinar on 25th March 2025, reinforcing PITAA’s commitment to strengthening tax administration and technical expertise across the region.
The webinar was attended by 16 participants representing six Pacific Island countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga.
Facilitated by Xavier Mitchell from PFTAC, the session opened with an engaging overview, setting the tone for a productive and collaborative discussion.
A key highlight was the introduction of Ms. Fonoti Talaitupu Lia Taefu, CEO of Samoa’s Ministry of Customs & Revenue, as the new Network Champion. In her remarks, Ms. Fonoti emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and shared learning.
“As tax administrators, we must continue to support each other by sharing our experiences, learning from both challenges and successes, and strengthening our collective capacity to respond to emerging tax issues,” she said.
“I am honored to take on this role and look forward to working closely with all of you to foster a strong and vibrant network,” Ms. Fonoti added.
The round table discussion on topical tax technical issues highlighted common challenges, facilitated knowledge sharing, and connected participants dealing with similar issues, fostering a collaborative, network-based approach to problem-solving.
Discussions covered pressing audit issues, Samoa’s experiences with transfer pricing audits, and Papua New Guinea’s approach to domestic deductions and arm’s length provisions. These insightful sessions provided practical lessons for improving tax administration across the Pacific.
PITAA extends its appreciation to all participants and remains committed to supporting tax professionals through continued technical discussions and knowledge-sharing initiatives.