Error message

  • Notice: Undefined offset: 0 in oxfamfrontend_preprocess_menu__main() (line 125 of themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/oxfamfrontend.theme).
    oxfamfrontend_preprocess_menu__main(Array, 'menu__main', Array) (Line: 287)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('menu__main', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 105)
    __TwigTemplate_5bc78951cbfd07f9036903857f6e3a6617201f67ad83e1553c25d2c2e4d13e27->block_content(Array, Array) (Line: 216)
    Twig\Template->displayBlock('content', Array, Array) (Line: 93)
    __TwigTemplate_5bc78951cbfd07f9036903857f6e3a6617201f67ad83e1553c25d2c2e4d13e27->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/blocks/block--oxfamfrontend-main-menu.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('block', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array) (Line: 444)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 63)
    __TwigTemplate_fae2745a282c7dd5710ffd9c7581cc0c9c45b8844f89293b3dec313e1fc4c8b0->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/system/page.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('page', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 377)
    __TwigTemplate_84ae86668151776ad24629f511bb4827c89c640cfc686ccf61ea2115b5f096d9->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/system/html.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('html', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 147)
    Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 573)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 148)
    Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90)
    Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object)
    call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111)
    Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch('kernel.view', Object) (Line: 156)
    Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 68)
    Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 57)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 47)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 47)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 52)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 23)
    Stack\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 708)
    Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
    
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in oxfamfrontend_preprocess_menu__main() (line 125 of themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/oxfamfrontend.theme).
    oxfamfrontend_preprocess_menu__main(Array, 'menu__main', Array) (Line: 287)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('menu__main', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 105)
    __TwigTemplate_5bc78951cbfd07f9036903857f6e3a6617201f67ad83e1553c25d2c2e4d13e27->block_content(Array, Array) (Line: 216)
    Twig\Template->displayBlock('content', Array, Array) (Line: 93)
    __TwigTemplate_5bc78951cbfd07f9036903857f6e3a6617201f67ad83e1553c25d2c2e4d13e27->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/blocks/block--oxfamfrontend-main-menu.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('block', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array) (Line: 444)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 63)
    __TwigTemplate_fae2745a282c7dd5710ffd9c7581cc0c9c45b8844f89293b3dec313e1fc4c8b0->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/system/page.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('page', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 377)
    __TwigTemplate_84ae86668151776ad24629f511bb4827c89c640cfc686ccf61ea2115b5f096d9->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/system/html.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('html', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 147)
    Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 573)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 148)
    Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90)
    Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object)
    call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111)
    Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch('kernel.view', Object) (Line: 156)
    Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 68)
    Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 57)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 47)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 47)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 52)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 23)
    Stack\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 708)
    Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
    
  • Warning: Use of undefined constant Blog - assumed 'Blog' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in oxfamfrontend_preprocess_breadcrumb() (line 1940 of themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/oxfamfrontend.theme).
    oxfamfrontend_preprocess_breadcrumb(Array, 'breadcrumb', Array) (Line: 287)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('breadcrumb', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 91)
    __TwigTemplate_2b51de83e80063ec313274ce6f3ceba482516f92c663ad86a8dc53843f4be9ec->block_content(Array, Array) (Line: 216)
    Twig\Template->displayBlock('content', Array, Array) (Line: 80)
    __TwigTemplate_2b51de83e80063ec313274ce6f3ceba482516f92c663ad86a8dc53843f4be9ec->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('core/themes/stable/templates/block/block.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('block', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array) (Line: 444)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 63)
    __TwigTemplate_fae2745a282c7dd5710ffd9c7581cc0c9c45b8844f89293b3dec313e1fc4c8b0->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/system/page.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('page', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 501)
    Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter(Object, Array, 'html', NULL, 1) (Line: 377)
    __TwigTemplate_84ae86668151776ad24629f511bb4827c89c640cfc686ccf61ea2115b5f096d9->doDisplay(Array, Array) (Line: 455)
    Twig\Template->displayWithErrorHandling(Array, Array) (Line: 422)
    Twig\Template->display(Array) (Line: 434)
    Twig\Template->render(Array) (Line: 64)
    twig_render_template('themes/custom/oxfamfrontend/templates/system/html.html.twig', Array) (Line: 384)
    Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render('html', Array) (Line: 431)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 200)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array) (Line: 147)
    Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 573)
    Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 148)
    Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90)
    Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object)
    call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111)
    Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch('kernel.view', Object) (Line: 156)
    Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 68)
    Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 57)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 47)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82)
    Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 47)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 52)
    Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 23)
    Stack\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 708)
    Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
    

Tax dodging is a crime against developing countries

Tax dodging is a crime against developing countries

Five hundred Indians have been named in the Panama Papers revelations about the rich and powerful's use of tax havens, including well-known film stars and politicians. Research group Global Financial Integrity (GFI) previously estimated that India lost a whopping $51 billion to tax evasion in the form of illicit financial flows – transfers of funds that are illegally earned, transferred or used – every year between 2004 and 2013. This would have been more than enough to provide electricity to every home in India, which 40 percent of rural households are still without, as well as a primary health centre and a proper school in every village. No wonder ordinary Indians are so outraged at the latest revelations. 

If governments across the world are serious about ending global poverty and meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals agreed last year, they will have to find more fiscal resources. So now, more than ever, taking a hard look at tax dodging is absolutely critical. This week [12 May], when the UK hosts an international summit on tax and corruption, the focus should once again be on the murky world of offshore tax havens. 

The Panama Papers reveal just how easy not paying tax can be if you’re rich and powerful – whether through illegal tax evasion or schemes that exploit loopholes and variations in tax systems to contravene the intention, even if not the letter of the law. And the activities uncovered in these leaks are just the tip of a humongous iceberg, with grave consequences. 

Tax havens and offshore financial centres are at the heart of the problem. They create environments that allow non-residents – rich individuals or corporations – to avoid paying taxes in the places where they actually live and work or operate. They also provide secrecy, so that law enforcement agencies never get to know about activities recorded there. 

Tax havens don’t have to be sovereign states. In fact, some of the biggest and most influential are within countries, like the states of Delaware, Nevada or Wyoming in the United States, or even the City of London in the United Kingdom. The UK’s Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories like the British Virgin Islands are at the heart of this network. So if the global community – and especially the G7 countries – really do want to crack down on tax dodging, it should be easy for them to begin at home, by tightening the rules and regulations on allowing and recording offshore transactions and enforcing greater transparency. 

If they don’t, then developing countries – and especially their poorest citizens – will continue to be the biggest losers. A huge amount of money flows from elites and companies operating in poor countries to tax havens. GFI found that developing and emerging economies lost as much as US$7.8 trillion in illicit financial flows between 2004 and 2013. Even worse, the volumes accelerated over time, increasing at an average annual rate of 6.5 percent, nearly twice the rate of global GDP growth. Most of these flows were “tax-motivated,” designed to exploit loopholes to shift transactions and funds around so as to minimise tax liabilities at home. 

And these estimates do not even include the huge fiscal resources that are lost due to perfectly legal “tax avoidance.” According to Oxfam, corporate tax dodging and use of offshore banking by rich individuals costs the developing world at least $170 billion every year.   

To tackle the problem, the OECD is trying to bring in mechanisms to control corporate strategies to avoid tax such as “base erosion and profit shifting” – but so far they have been ineffective. Tighter laws and implementation in tax havens are essential – but so is sharing information and much greater transparency. Sadly, rich countries have not really stepped up to these challenges.  And the developing countries that are the worst victims of this are still not given seats at the high table of the decision-making bodies that are supposed to address this problem. 

 

Written by By Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 

 

Economic Justice

We work towards fair sharing of natural resources and ensuring better livelihoods for forest-dependent communities

Read More

Related Blogs

Blogs

Stories that inspire us

Economic Justice

25 Aug, 2020

Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh Recognises CFR Rights – A First Since FRA’s inception

On 9 Aug 2020, the Chhattisgarh government formally recognised the Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) of 54 villages across 10 districts to mark the occasion of World Indigenou...

Economic Justice

08 Aug, 2020

Jharkhand

समानता के सिद्धान्त को आदिवासी सिखलाता है

जल ज़मीन का रक्षा करना, आदिवासी सिखलाता है माटी से सोना उपजना, आदिवासी सिखलाता है जब से हमने जंगल है काटे, तरस गए हम पानी को लगा के जंगल नदी बहाना, आदिवासी सिखलाता है   एक क्षण...

Economic Justice

01 Aug, 2020

Uttar Pradesh

Agriculture & COVID-19: Pro Women Farmer Policies Needed

A two-week survey conducted during the lockdown by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) rev...

Economic Justice

06 Jun, 2020

Jharkhand

पर्यावरण बचाना होगा

पर्यावरण बचाना होगा हमको ही आगे आना होगा मृत हो गए जो जल जंगल उसे फिर से हरा बनाना होगा पर्यावरण बचाना होगा दूषित हो गई है जो हवाएं इसमे दोष है हमी सबका काट दिए जो पौधे हमने फिर से...