KARACHI, March 9: Over 600 local and foreign tax consultants, jurists, business leaders and opinion makers are expected to participate in two-day Asia Pacific Tax Conference 2006, being held on March 17-18.

The theme of the conference is “Tax system - A catalyst for economic development,” being organized by the Income Tax Bar Association Karachi (ITBAK). The speakers are expected to deliberate on tax incidence; equity and distortion; tax reforms era; role of professionals; national resource mobilization and its allocation; tax administration; capacity and capability and various emerging tax issues.

ITBAK president Saqib Masood at a press briefing held on Thursday said that the moot would focus on prevailing tax system in the Asia Pacific Region.

He said that during the conference special emphasis would be laid on the on-going process of globalization, which has forced regional policy-makers to think about how to sequence policies and institutional reforms in trade and capital transactions.

Mr Masood further said that the moot would be addressed by speakers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Japan and Korea and they would deliberate in detail on the existing tax systems, besides sharing their experience with other participants.

Abdul Qadir Memon, chairman of the conference, said that it would be first taxation conference in the history of the country which would be organized at the regional level. He expressed the hope that this conference would not only help us to improve our existing tax system, but would also provide an opportunity to portray the image of Pakistan as a peace-loving and friendly country.