The B Team is delighted to announce that the GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, has become the latest signatory to The B Team Responsible Tax Principles.

In doing so, the GSMA has pledged to align its approach to tax with the Responsible Tax Principles, over time. It has also gone further, committing to use its industry leadership position and convening power to promote responsible tax practice throughout the mobile sector.

The GSMA’s global reach spans more than 750 mobile operators with almost 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem—from handset manufacturers to software companies. Its commitment to promoting responsible tax throughout the industry is hugely significant.

While GSMA members Vodafone and Safaricom have been long-standing supporters of The B Team Responsible Tax Principles, the organization’s endorsement will help ensure responsible tax is embedded throughout the sector. The GSMA will work alongside The B Team to promote the Responsible Tax Principles amongst its membership, helping to broaden the geographic scope of the responsible tax movement.

The GSMA’s endorsement has been made under the leadership of Mats Granryd, the organization’s Director General and himself a B Team Leader. Granryd is a champion of corporate sustainability across a range of issues. He has worked closely with his fellow B Team Leaders to advance gender-balanced and inclusive workplaces and ambitious, industry-led action on the climate crisis. He welcomed the commitment to expand this partnership into responsible tax:

"Tax is a vital part of corporate responsibility and sustainability. It is the entry fee we pay to be part of modern, healthy societies. It’s also a critical tool in efforts toward a green, just and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. By endorsing The B Team Responsible Tax Principles, we are making a clear statement that we will lead by example within the GSMA and also promote responsible corporate tax practice throughout the mobile sector."

The B Team encourages others to follow the leadership example set by the GSMA by endorsing the Responsible Tax Principles. To learn more about The B Team, the Principles and how you can join this movement, see here or contact Ewan Livingston-Docwra at el@bteam.org.

Developed by multinational businesses with input from civil society, investors and representatives from international institutions, The B Team Responsible Tax Principles were launched at the Tax & SDG Conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in February 2018. The B Team Responsible Tax Principles represent a new blueprint, designed to raise the bar on how businesses approach tax. They are the first consolidated effort from a group of cross-sector, cross-regional companies to articulate best practice in seven key areas of tax, from corporate governance to relationships with authorities to transparency.