Québec solidaire (QS) wants the countries of La Francophonie to commit to fighting tax avoidance, evasion and dumping.
Quebec Premier François Legault is due to raise the issue at the Francophonie Summit in Djerba, Tunisia, MP Haroun Bouazzi said.
In an interview, he argues that billions of dollars escape Quebec each year. He deplores the “opacity” faced with the sharing of tax data between countries.
“If I am a rich businessman and I decide to put my money in Cameroon, Quebec and Canada are not easily able to know what belongs to me in third countries”, he illustrates.
Mr. Bouazzi also deplores that companies “shop around” for countries where they can pay the least tax. It requires a minimum of “harmonization” of taxation.
“Too often, it’s not a subject,” he says. It never ceases to amaze us that big corporations don’t pay taxes, but […] it is a joint responsibility of the countries,” he says.
“Avoiding tax dumping in the countries of the Francophonie would be a good start, especially since there are a number of islands where taxation is at least accommodating with corporations,” he said.
Prime Minister Legault will land in Djerba later Friday. He will meet representatives of the Tunisian company Coficab, as well as people from Wallonia-Brussels.
He will also meet privately with the Secretary General of La Francophonie, the Rwandan Louise Mushikiwabo, after a press scrum with journalists.
Remember that Quebec is a full member of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), which gives it an exceptional forum.