About

Since the start of the financial crisis there has been increasing media coverage and policy debate about secrecy jurisdictions – also known as tax havens – but less focus on what is happening in secrecy jurisdictions themselves.

This personal blog is dedicated to monitoring the media in secrecy jurisdictions, looking in particular for news which is relevant to financial secrecy.

Secrecy jurisdictions undermine the governance and public services of other countries, help rich individuals and multinational corporations to pay less tax than they should (leaving the burden to the rest of society) and are often used by criminals and corrupt individuals to escape the law.

Inside secrecy jurisdictions, the distribution of wealth tends to be highly unequal, with a rich elite linked to the financial sector – which tends to crowd out other economic activities – and a larger population with much lower standards of living.

The selection of jurisdictions covered is based on the 2013 Financial Secrecy Index.

Financial Secrecy Media Monitor is maintained by Max Heywood, a Regional Coordinator for Transparency International. Any views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the position of Transparency International.