On September 13-14, CLDP led a workshop for the Council of Representatives on Value Added Tax (VAT).  Bahrain plans to draft legislation and implement a VAT in 2018 in accordance with the GCC framework agreement on VAT.  CLDP expert Guy Dingley, a solicitor at Covington LLP discussed UK standards and institutions for VAT, as well as the European Union tax framework.  U.S. Senate Commerce Committee expert Christopher Day also discussed the principle and theories on tax policy in the United States.  CLDP also conducted interactive sessions on how tax regimes would affect government accountability in Bahrain, as well as the various principles behind why some commodities, such as medicine and food, would be exempt under a future tax regime.  The participants also completed a legislative memo on tax implementation in Bahrain and participated in various exercises about tax policy.  Next month, CLDP will host a delegation of legal advisors and researchers from the Council of Representatives in Washington, DC where they will meet tax policy counterparts at the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, State Department, Department of Commerce, Library of Congress, Maryland State legislature, and private sector stakeholders.