The contrast was striking. After months of having been on the defensive over his government's inability to effectively combat black money, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, for once, had his questioners squirming.
The difference was that he was dealing with an international audience. A team from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, led by its secretary general Angel Gurria, in New Delhi to attend a tax conference, was put on the back foot when Mukherjee said slow international progress in dismantling banking secrecy laws hindered India's attempt to uncover money siphoned out of the country.
"It is a real impediment in many cases," agreed Gurr'ia. The unravelling of secrecy laws remains a distant prospect, putting many who may have siphoned out money out of the reach of Indian authorities.
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