The idea that companies should be put under constant pressure to be as transparent as possible about their tax affairs has been recognised as real for a long time in other parts of the world. It is now happening in Asia, too.

The same session heard from tax officials in two Asian jurisdictions that while their countries were trying to keep a close eye on what multinational corporations were doing about their taxes, they were also attempting to establish better relationships with them.

Veerinderjeet Singh, managing director of Taxand Malaysia, told the conference in Singapore that taxpayers wanted clarity and consistency...