Barbados responds to comments made by French President Sarkozy

Barbados clarifies its position as a treaty-based offshore financial jurisdiction

BRIDGETOWN BARBADOS, Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - In an official statement issued earlier today, Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of the Government of Barbados took the opportunity to respond to a recent statement made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy -one that mistakenly characterized Barbados and could result in erroneous and damaging conclusions.

"Barbados is a highly respected international financial jurisdiction that, for more than forty years, has included provisions in its tax treaties to ensure the reciprocal exchange of tax information. Tax secrecy has never been a concept that we've adopted in Barbados, and we are not a zero tax jurisdiction. In fact, Barbados' national predisposition towards openness and international cooperation in all matters - including taxation - has meant that it remains one of the few international financial jurisdictions with practical experience in the application of tax information exchange."

"We recognize the challenges that currently exist within our global and interconnected economy. However, we would ask that all countries use insight and accuracy in their characterization of other countries, especially when that characterization has negative connotations. Barbados has signed double taxation treaties with 34 countries, 15 of which are OECD members, and we are working on negotiating or concluding treaties with a further 24 countries, 7 of which are OECD members.

We have recently signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with the Kingdom of Denmark, and will shortly initial TIEAs with Germany and France, all of whom are OECD members. We have already signed protocols to several of our existing treaties updating the tax information exchange clause to the latest OECD standard, and in addition, Barbados was also the only independent Caribbean country on the OECD "White List" published in April 2009. At this time, therefore, we have signed treaties or agreements, that are compliant with the current OECD standard on tax information exchange, with the following OECD members - The USA, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Mexico, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the Czech Republic, and treaties with Italy and Belgium, as well as the protocol with the UK have been initialed.

In times such as these, it is imperative that countries work to identify, articulate and nurture mutually beneficial international relationships. With respect to International financial jurisdictions, we believe that successful relationships must be defined by more than the exchange of tax information. Rather, the most mutually beneficial relationships will be defined by double taxation treaties and investment treaties - agreements that facilitate international trade while providing the necessary provisions to ensure tax transparency."

About Invest Barbados

Invest Barbados (IB) is an economic development agency of the Government of Barbados. IB is responsible for attracting, winning and sustaining investment for Barbados. The agency is also responsible for promoting the export of indigenous services and goods while managing and developing the Barbados business brand.

SOURCE Invest Barbados