Workshop Tackles Tax Evasion Problem

Taxation and tax evasion crimes in Palestine were discussed on April 14, 2016 at a one-day workshop by the head of the Economic Crimes Department Najat Briki and organized by the Faculty of Law and Public Administration. Briki summed up the tax evasion phenomenon in Palestine, and emphasized the importance of knowing the legal mechanisms for dealing with tax dodgers and the role of tax departments. “This workshop aims to familiarize participants with various approaches while measuring what tax authorities can use to effectively combat and reduce the scope of tax evasion and avoidance activities.”“The taxation system in Palestine is one of the fiscal policies that were imposed by the Israeli occupation and fostered by the Paris Protocol on Economic Relations that was signed in 1994,” Briki said. “The Palestinian Authority established a modern tax system under the umbrella of the Customs and Monetary Union and adopted Israel’s single tax rates and its custom duties and excises with limited flexibility.”Briki discussed the importance of a taxation system, which contributes to building a balanced economy and equal distribution of income.This workshop is part of a European Union project to develop two master’s degree programs in criminal law, in coordination with An-Najah University and Al-Quds University and the Law and Economics Department at Birzeit University.