The Director of Fiscal Justice at Oxfam International, Susana Ruiz, warned in Tegucigalpa about the consequences of the lack of wealth redistribution in Latin America. As part of the 'Regional Meeting for Strengthening Articulation for Inclusive, Sustainable and Equitable Taxation in Latin America,' sponsored by Oxfam and Aecid, Ruiz made strong statements.
"I believe we need to understand that now is the time to choose: we are either building a society where we polarize all wealth allowing a few to have much more, or we are in a society where we generate enough resources, with all those available, to invest in those who need it the most," Ruiz said in an interview.
The event also featured personalities such as the Honduran Secretary of Finance, Christian Duarte, the head of the National Revenue Administration Service (Sar), Juliette Handal, and the director of the Women's Studies Center (Cem-Honduras), Suyapa Martínez. The main objective of the meeting was to deepen knowledge about trends in the international tax reform agenda.
Ruiz highlighted the importance of recent discussions about international tax reforms, especially in the context of the G20, which will soon meet in Rio de Janeiro. She mentioned that the new trends in taxation are aligned with the interests of Latin America, focusing on preventing tax evasion and promoting tax equity in the region.
At the local level, a Tax Justice Bill has been introduced in Honduras, aiming for the wealthiest sectors to contribute more through taxes. However, this project faces resistance from the economic elite of the country, which has so far hindered its approval in Parliament.
According to the Honduran Secretary of Finance, the economic elites in the country, who benefit from tax exemptions and have capital in tax havens, have stalled the approval of this key law for tax equity. Despite the proposal having international support, internal pressures have impeded its progress.
In that sense, Ruiz announced that at the next G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, a commitment will be ratified to implement a wealth taxation agenda, a significant step aimed at addressing the growing inequality and concentration of wealth in the region.
