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In 2018, 40 top mining companies raked in USD 683 billion from extracting oil and gas from resource-rich developing countries in the Global South. These countries not only lose their natural resources, but are also deprived of billions of dollars from abusive tax practices by multinational corporations who shift their profits in tax havens and financial secrecy jurisdictions. The extractive industry is a blatant embodiment of different forms of injustices – economic, social, and environmental. It causes irreversible damage to the environment and harmful impacts on the communities.
This year, through the Global day of Action campaign, actors in the sector seek to unmask the illegal activities in the extractive industry. This includes the companies’ grand theft of taxes and demand for tax justice in the extractive industry. Themed ‘Campaigning on Tax Justice and Extractives: Our proposed calls and demands’ the aim is to expose tax abuse, build public opinion and linkages with other movements by giving support and showing solidarity between tax justice and other social movements focused on the extractive industry in the Global South and in the Global North. Among the campaign demands is to stop the plunder and exploitation of natural and human resources, ensure progressive, adequate and effective tax regime for extractive industries, end Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and hold the industry to account for compliance with environmental standards, rights of communities and women affected by mining and other related activities.
Global Alliance for Tax Justice, a movement of civil society organizations, activists, and trade unions, united in campaigning for greater transparency, democratic oversight and redistribution of wealth in national and global tax systems and Tax Justice Network Africa, a pan-African research and advocacy organization that works to curb IFFs and promote progressive taxation systems, invite the public, to be part of the cause and participate in activities such as: Popular education, Social media activations and public mobilizations. For more details on The Global day of Action, find the concept note and the suggested activities here.