Elijah Titus
Port Moresby
Summary
Analytical, energetic, detail-oriented professional with extensive experience in taxation and general commercial law. Skilled in general litigation, tax policy formulation, commercial agreements, legislative drafting, statutory compliance, due diligence, and contract and lease negotiations. Adept at analyzing complex legal issues and providing strategic solutions. Proven ability to effectively communicate with clients and stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes. Committed to delivering high-quality work and exceeding expectations in a fast-paced environment.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
Acting Commissioner - Corporate Support and Tax Operations
Internal Revenue Commission
12.2023 - Current
- Oversee the corporate support and tax operations of the IRC
- Ensure the operational delivery of taxpayer services, processing and payment, tax audit, debt management and any other specific taxpayer related treatments, and provide IRC HQ core Business Wings feedback on the effectiveness and efficiency of the policy decisions, taxpayer awareness, compliance related programs, and the adequacy of the working environment, tools and guidance
- Provide IRC with support services of finance and accounting, human resources administration, ICT services, administrative support services and ensures that IRC has adequate office space, equipment and supplies available to deliver its tax administration functions
Assistant Commissioner Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
06.2016 - 12.2023
- Overall divisional head and general legal counsel for the IRC
- Manage, supervise, control and vet all work of the division
- Report directly to the Commissioner General and Executive
- Liaise with the Department of Treasury to co-ordinate all legislative amendments to the revenue laws administered by IRC and the formulation of tax policy
- Chair of the Internal Technical Committee which deals with all technical tax issues and legislative amendment proposals
- Competent Authority for PNG on all Double Taxation Treaties
Acting Assistant Commissioner Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2014 - 06.2016
- Manage, supervise, control and vet all work of the division
- Report directly to the Commissioner General and Executive
- Liaise with the Department of Treasury to co-ordinate all legislative amendments to the revenue laws administered by IRC
- Drafted and ensured passage of the Internal Revenue Commission Act
Director – Advising Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
10.2010 - 12.2014
- Head of the Advising Branch of the Legal Services Division
- Manage all legal advising work
- Dealt with all legal commercial advising work of the IRC including the LNG project, commercial tax transactions, tax exemption requests, drafting of legislation and commercial agreements, double taxation agreements
- General litigation work in the National and Supreme Courts
- Liaison with Department of Treasury on tax policy matters
Acting Assistant Commissioner Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Overall divisional head and general legal counsel for the IRC
- Manage, supervise, control and vet all work of the division
- Report directly to the Commissioner General and Executive
- Liaise with the Department of Treasury to co-ordinate all legislative amendments to the revenue laws administered by IRC and the formulation of tax policy
- Chair of the Internal Technical Committee which deals with all technical tax issues and legislative amendment proposals
Acting Director – Litigation Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2008 - 12.2008
- Manage and supervise all tax and customs litigation
- Supervise and co-ordinate all litigation matters for the courts and appeals to the Income Tax Review Tribunal for and against the Commissioner General
- Ensure proper pleadings are drafted
- Undertake training and development of junior lawyers
- Assisted Department of Treasury and State Team on the LNG Project
Principle Advising Officer – Advising Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
12.2006 - 01.2008
- Act as Legal advisor for the IRC in respect to all tax and customs legislations administered by the IRC
- Prepare legal matters relating to the implementation of Double Taxation Treaties
- Review references and submissions on the more complex legislative interpretations; prepare for approval, publish and promulgate technical instructions and rulings for issue to the public and use by the IRC
- Handle all State project agreements, NEC Submissions, Customs Exemption Requests, Aid Donor Funded Projects with respect to the revenue implications
- Drafted the Tax & Customs Exemptions Guide for Aid Projects in PNG
Senior Advising Officer – Advising Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2005 - 12.2006
- Prosecute taxpayers for breaches of Tax and Customs laws
- Pursue outstanding tax debt recovery action, liquidation proceedings and the execution of court orders
- General commercial tax advising work
- Attend to general litigation for IRC in the District, National and Supreme Courts
- Managed all lease agreements, MOU’s, MOA’s for the IRC
Legal Officer (Contracts) – State Solicitors Office, Commercial Law Branch
Department of Justice & Attorney General
03.2002 - 01.2005
- Provide internal and external legal advice to all Government Departments, Agencies and Statutory Bodies on behalf of the State
- Drafting of Loan, Consultancy, Mining & Petroleum, Treaty, Employment, Lease, Contracts, MOU and MOA agreements
- General advice on public service personnel disciplinary, appointment procedures and employment contracts etc
- Responsible for proposed legislative amendment approval and legal clearance of all contracts and agreements entered into by the State
Education
Master of Laws Degree - Corporate and Commercial Law (LLM)
University of New South Wales
12.2009
Admission to the Bar - Certificate of Training
Legal Training Institute
11.2001
Bachelor of Laws Degree -
University of Papua New Guinea
12.2000
Completed Matriculation Studies - Grade 12 Certificate
Divine Word Institute
12.1996
Completed Grades 8 – 10 - Grade 10 Certificate
Scots PGC College
Warwick, QLD12.1994
Completed Grades 1 – 6 - Grade 6 Certificate
Murray International Primary School
12.1991
Skills
- Excellent oral and written communication
- Organized
- Diligent
- Tenacious
- Organizational leadership
- Government relations
- Legislative affairs
Hobbies and Interests
- Reading
- Cooking
- Sports
Training
- 53rd Study Group on Regional Asian Tax Administration (SGATAR) Conference, Seoul, Korea, 11/01/24
- Regional Workshop on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) and International Tax Transparency for Pacific Islands States, Nadi, Fiji, 02/12/24 - 02/16/24
- Virtual Training to Advance Revenue Administration in Strategic Management, VITARA, IMF, 10/13/23
- Virtual Training to Advance Revenue Administration in Organization, VITARA, IMF, 10/13/23
- Data Analytics Basics for Everyone, IBM, 10/13/23
- Workshop on Mutual Agreement Procedure, Mexico City, Mexico, 04/17/23 - 04/21/23
- Active Leadership Workshop, Port Moresby, 05/01/23 - 06/30/23
- 51st Study Group on Regional Asian Tax Administration (SGATAR) Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10/01/22
- Virtual Training to Advance Revenue Administration in Institutional Governance, VITARA, IMF, 03/15/22 - 04/05/22
- Certificate in Project Management Fundamentals, Datec, Port Moresby, 07/27/19
- Selected Issues in Fiscal Law & Governance, Washington DC, 04/22/19 - 04/26/19
- Senior Leadership Programme, Uganda and London, 05/20/18 - 06/02/18
- Seminar on Beneficial Ownership, Manila, Philippines, 03/28/17 - 03/30/17
- Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, Singapore, 04/04/16 - 04/08/16
- Asia/Pacific AEOI Implementation Seminar, Canberra, Australia, 02/16/16 - 02/18/16
- Detecting Cross-Border Tax Evasion, Tokyo, Japan, 11/10/15 - 11/13/15
- Consultation Workshop on Enhancing Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, Tokyo, Japan, 02/01/15
- PNG/Australia Mining Conference, Sydney, Australia, 12/01/14
- 44th Study Group on Regional Asian Tax Administration (SGATAR) Conference, Sydney, Australia, 11/01/14
- Cash Economy Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 04/01/14
- Principles of International Taxation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10/01/13
- 43rd Study Group on Regional Asian Tax Administration (SGATAR) Conference, Jeju Island, Korea, 10/01/13
- Regional Working Group Meeting on Preventing Abuse of the Non-Profit Sector for the Purposes of Terrorist Financing, Auckland, New Zealand, 11/07/11 - 11/09/11
- Member of Ministerial Delegation to the Signing of the PNG/Japan Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement, Tokyo, Japan, 04/23/11 - 04/27/11
- PNG/Japan Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement 2nd Round Negotiations, Port Moresby, PNG, 12/02/10 - 12/03/10
- Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators 31st Annual Technical Conference, Abuja, Nigeria, 10/10/10 - 10/16/10
- PNG/Japan Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement 1st Round Negotiations, Tokyo, Japan, 09/08/10 - 09/09/10
- Tax Treaty Negotiation Course, Bangi, Malaysia, 03/08/10 - 03/12/10
- The Universal Legal Regime Against Terrorism, Port Moresby, 12/03/07 - 12/05/07
- Transfer Pricing Training Course, Port Moresby, 11/13/07 - 11/22/07
- 2007 APEC Customs Amity Seminar, Taipei, Chinese Taipei, 10/16/07 - 10/25/07
- Taxation of International Transactions, Bangi, Malaysia, 08/06/07 - 08/24/07
- Taxation of Financial Instruments Seminar, Seoul, South Korea, 02/12/07 - 02/16/07
- Seminar on the Application and Maintenance of the WTO Valuation Agreement, Melaka, Malaysia, 05/30/05 - 06/03/05
- Ship Search Course, Lae, 04/04/05 - 04/08/05
- United States Institute of International Legal Studies, Executive Seminar on Military Justice and Trial Advocacy, Port Moresby, 05/17/04 - 05/28/04
- Maritime Law Seminar on Collisions, Strandings and Pollution – the Legal Implications, Suva, Fiji, 04/19/04 - 04/23/04
- Attorney General’s Department Institutional Strengthening Project, Legal Officers Induction Course, Port Moresby, 10/30/02
- Department of Justice & Attorney General, Public Service Induction Course, Port Moresby, 09/10/02 - 09/12/02
- Datec Training Centre, Quick Start I Course, Port Moresby, 07/01/02
Timeline
Acting Commissioner - Corporate Support and Tax Operations
Internal Revenue Commission
12.2023 - Current
Assistant Commissioner Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
06.2016 - 12.2023
Acting Assistant Commissioner Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2014 - 06.2016
Director – Advising Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
10.2010 - 12.2014
Acting Assistant Commissioner Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2010 - 01.2011
Acting Director – Litigation Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2008 - 12.2008
Principle Advising Officer – Advising Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
12.2006 - 01.2008
Senior Advising Officer – Advising Legal Services
Internal Revenue Commission
01.2005 - 12.2006
Legal Officer (Contracts) – State Solicitors Office, Commercial Law Branch
Department of Justice & Attorney General
03.2002 - 01.2005
Admission to the Bar - Certificate of Training
Legal Training Institute
Bachelor of Laws Degree -
University of Papua New Guinea
Completed Matriculation Studies - Grade 12 Certificate
Divine Word Institute
Completed Grades 8 – 10 - Grade 10 Certificate
Scots PGC College
Completed Grades 1 – 6 - Grade 6 Certificate
Murray International Primary School
Master of Laws Degree - Corporate and Commercial Law (LLM)
University of New South Wales
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