UK Prime Minister urges more Panama tax evasion effort

In a meeting with Panama president, Juan Carlos Varela,  on Monday,  May 14,  British Prime Minister, Theresa May, urged more effort in the fight against corruption and tax evasion.

“The Prime Minister noted the importance of seeing more progress in the adoption of anti-corruption laws and criminalizing tax evasion in Panama, “said a Downing Street spokesman after the meeting at the residence of the prime minister in Westminster.

Also, May was optimistic about the future of economic relations and estimated that “the commercial ties between the United Kingdom and Panama will be increasingly stronger “when the UK  leaves the European Union, in April 2019, according to the spokesman.

Before, Varela had vindicated his commitment with the fiscal transparency and the fight against the money laundering, after his country left a few months ago the EU blacklist of  fiscal paradises

In a meeting with Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, “He recognized the commitment of Panama in terms of fiscal transparency,” said Varela on Twitter.

“We agreed on the importance of continuing the fight against money laundering and  organized crime”

In December,  the EU included Panama on its first list of tax havens,  but it was removed in January after the commitment of the Panamanian government to fiscal transparency.

Varela met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Boris Johnson, and they exchanged shirts that will be worn by their football teams, in the World Cup in Russia next month.