Opening Address by CEO, Mr Dennis Lui at the STARI Conference 2026

CEO Tax Academy of Singapore Introducing the Guest of Honour at the STARI Conference 2026

Guest of Honour, Ms Emily Follett, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia;

Chairman of Tax Academy, Mr Tham Sai Choy;

Dean Lee Pey Woan, Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University;

Professor Miranda Stewart;

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to the STARI Conference 2026, and especially to welcome you to the Tax Academy Hub.

Today’s conference brings together leading academics from eight universities, alongside distinguished practitioners, policymakers and diplomatic representatives from across Asia, Europe and Australia. International taxation has never been more important—or more interconnected.

Whether we are discussing the digital economy, global mobility, Pillar Two or cross-border investment, the questions we face today cannot be answered by any one organisation, profession or country alone.

This STARI conference becomes a platform where research meets practice, where policy meets implementation, and where today’s discussions can help shape tomorrow’s solutions. I hope that throughout the day you will not only gain fresh insights from our excellent speakers, but also make new connections.

We are particularly honoured to welcome representatives from the Australian High Commission, the Embassy of France and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Your presence reminds us that international taxation is ultimately built on international cooperation and trusted relationships.

Welcome to this brand new Tax Academy of Singapore Hub! This is not just a training venue - our aspiration is for it to become a regional home for learning, dialogue and collaboration. We are delighted that STARI is the first international tax conference to be held here, and we hope it will be the first of many. Thank you for all your support.

It is now my great pleasure to invite our Guest of Honour, the Deputy High Commissioner of Australia, Ms Emily Follett, to deliver the opening address.

Ms Follett, the stage is yours.

Thank you.

Mr Dennis Lui
Chief Executive Officer, Tax Academy of Singapore
Deputy Commissioner (Indirect Taxes, Law & Investigation Group), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore