UN Tax Panel Begins Work, Names Egyptian Official as Chair (1)

A United Nations committee developing a framework for international tax cooperation began work Tuesday, electing an Egyptian finance official as its chair.

The committee kicked off three days of organizational meetings in New York by naming as chair Ramy Youssef, Egypt’s assistant minister of finance for tax policy and reform.

International tax cooperation is “more important now than ever before,” Youssef told the committee representatives. “I urge you to approach these discussions with an open mind and a spirit of cooperation.”

But some countries’ representatives at the meeting continued to express concern that a UN effort would duplicate work ...