(비지니스) 왜 파나마는 세계 10대 조세피난처에 해당 안 되나?

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35998801

Why the top 10 tax havens don't include Panama 왜 세계 10대 조세 피난처에는 파나마가 포함되지 않는가?

By Max SeitzBBC Mundo

• 8 April 2016
 
• From the sectionBusiness

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionThe sign in front of the building that houses the law firm Mossack Fonseca

Panama Papers

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• Q&A: Panama Papers
• Tax havens and the new politics
• Panama leaks spur global investigations

The huge leak of documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca has revealed how tax havens are used to hide wealth and has focused the world's attention on the Central American nation. (leak: 유출, 새다는 뜻의 샘) (reveal: 드러내다) (hide: 숨기다) (wealth: 부, 재산) (focus attention on: ~에 주의를 집중시키다, ~에 관심을 갖게 하다, 관심을 불러 일으키다)

The Panama Papers revelations have prompted the country to create an international panel to help improve transparency in its offshore financial industry. (prompt: 촉발시키다) (transparency: 투명, 형용사는 transparent) (offshore: 연안의, 바다쪽의, 역외의, 해외의, 여기선 역외의 해외의)

But international organisations which investigate financial secrecy warn that Panama is not even in the top 10 countries with the least financial transparency.

They say that rich Europeans and North Americans can easily hide their money much closer to home. And this may explain why so few US residents have so far been implicated in the Panama scandal. (few: 극소수의) (resident: 거주다, 여기선 시민, 국민) (implicate: 암시하다, 연루되다.)

'Dirty money' '더러운 돈'

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionRamon Fonseca, co-founder of the company at the centre of the Panama Papers leak, says that the focus on his company and country is unfair

The co-founder of Mossack Fonseca, Ramon Fonseca, accuses richer countries of hypocrisy. (co-founder: 공동 창립자) (accuse A of B: A를 B라고 비난하다)  (hypocrisy: 위선)

"I assure you there is more dirty money in New York, Miami and London than there is in Panama," he told the New York Times. 밝은 하늘: 파나마가 세계 10대 조세피난처에 해당되지 않는 이유는 미국 영국 스위스 등 서구 선진국 내외의 땅에 조세피난처가 존재해 굳이 파나마 등지로 빼돌릴 필요가 없기 때문임.

But is he right? 

The Tax Justice Network, an independent organisation which analyses international tax and financial regulation has created a list that ranks countries according to the strength of their financial regulation and the volume of their transactions. (international tax: 국제조세) (financial regulation: 자금통제, 자금규제) (volume: 양) (transaction: 거래)

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The top ten for financial secrecy (financial secrecy: 자금거래의 비밀주의)

Image copyrightThinkstock

1. Switzerland
2. Hong Kong
3. USA
4. Singapore
5. The Cayman Islands
6. Luxembourg
7. Lebanon
8. Germany
9. Bahrain
10. United Arab Emirates

Source: The Tax Justice Network

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It's notable that Panama does not even make the top ten 

"There is a double standard: many developed countries host or support jurisdictions where there is an absence of financial transparency," says Alex Cobham of Tax Justice Network. (jurisdiction: 관할권, 사법권)

Switzerland leads the ranking with its almost impenetrable tradition of secrecy in banking, even if - under international pressure - it has recently made some concessions towards identifying the owners of accounts linked to international tax evasion investigations. (impenetrable: 관통할 수 없는, 뚫고 들어갈 수 없는, 철통같은) (concession: 양보, 인정) (identify: 밝혀내다) (evasion: 회피, 모면)

Hong Kong: Mossack Fonseca's busiest office 홍콩의 경우는 모색 폰세카의 가장 인기 있는(분주한) 지점

Image copyrightThinkstock

Image captionHong Kong was a British colony until 1997 but is now administered by China

Hong Kong follows hot on Switzerland's heels in the ranking. The former British colony, now a special administrative region of China, is of "great concern", according to the Tax Justice Network. (follow hot on one's heels: ~뒤를 바짝 쫓다)

The Panama Papers reveal that nearly one third of Mossack Fonseca's business came from its offices in Hong Kong and China - making China the firm's biggest market and Hong Kong the company's busiest office.

Hong Kong allows so-called bearer shares, which facilitate the movement of funds without knowing to whom the money belongs. (bearer shares: 무기명주)

USA: Keeping US money at home 미국의 경우엔 자국 내 자신의 재산 은닉

Image copyrightThinkstock

Image captionThe US state of Delaware has almost one firm for each resident

Within US borders and just a stone's throw from the White House, the east coast state of Delaware is home to around 945,000 firms, which equates to almost one for each resident. (equate: 동등하다, 맞먹다)

Delaware is one of four US states - the others are Nevada, Arizona and Wyoming - that have been criticised for their lax financial regulation. Many of the firms are suspected of being "ghost companies".

Transparency International, an anti-corruption campaigning movement, describes the state as a "transnational crime haven".

British Overseas Territories - sunny places for shady people? 영국의 경우엔 해외 영국령 지역들이 그늘 안(=수상쩍은) 인간들의 양지바른 땅 노릇한다 (sunny places: 양지 바른 곳) (shady: 그늘진, 수상한 냄새가 나는)

Image copyrightThinkstock

Image captionUgland House in the Cayman Islands is the registered office for 18,000 companies

President Obama told a debate in New Hampshire in 2008 about the case of Ugland House, a building in the Cayman Islands which he said hosted 12,000 companies. 영국령 조세피난처(1): 케이먼 아일런스 

"That's either the biggest building or the biggest tax scam on record," the President said. Ugland House's own website now says the building is the registered office of 18,000 companies. (scam: 사기) (on record: 기록상)

Although the Cayman Islands are self-governing, they are a British Overseas Territory.

The Tax Justice Network's Alex Cobham suggests that if such dependencies are included in the British ranking, it would place the UK at the very top of the list.

Another UK Overseas Territory - the British Virgin Islands - features strongly in the Panama Papers. More than twice as many companies involved in the leak are registered there than in Panama. 영국령 조세회피처(2): 버진 아일런스. 이곳의 조세피난 규모는 파나마의 2배 이상. (feature in: ~을 특징으로 하다, ~와 흡사하다) 

이하는 파나마 페이퍼스에 등장한 회사들이 설립된 지역들 (incorporate:포함하다. 법인을 설립하다)

Closing the loopholes 허술한 구멍을 메우기 (loophole: 법이나 계약서의 허술한 구멍)

Panama is not the only country which has promised to take action to improve its financial transparency.

The leaders of the G8 major economies agreed new measures to clamp down on money launderers, illegal tax evaders and corporate tax avoiders at a summit in 2013.

The summit communique urged countries to "fight the scourge of tax evasion". (communique: 성명, 공식발표) (scourge: 채찍, 재앙, 골치꺼리)

Developed countries may have their work cut out for them, however. (cut out for: 적합한)

Jason Hickel of the London School of Economics estimates that tax havens collectively hide a sixth of the world's total private wealth. 전세계 조세피난처에 숨긴 재산은 전세계 재산 6분의 1로 추산.