The Premier and Deputy Premier will seek to reassure international business that Bermuda has a solid tax information programme in place at a conference in Florida this week.

The pair are attending the 2009 Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) conference at the Orange County Convention Center, along with several thousand delegates from the insurance, reinsurance, international business and banking sectors.

Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox said the Island's recent inclusion on a "grey list" of countries not yet meeting international banking standards for tax information sharing was likely to come up.

"Our message to our partners will be one of reassurance," she said yesterday. "To date we have signed a total of eleven tax information exchange agreements.

"We have a solid tax information exchange programme in place which we believe will only maintain our strength during these times of uncertainty."

She said Bermuda had maintained its "proven and unassailable reputation" during recent difficult economic times.

"This fact resonates throughout the global market whenever Bermuda is mentioned and we look forward to reinforcing this message at RIMS."

Ms Cox added: "Bermuda, like countless other jurisdictions the world over, is experiencing unprecedented challenges in the global financial market.

"One of the key objectives of the Finance Ministry is to safeguard Bermuda's economic interests in the face of threats in the changing global economy."

The agenda for this year's conference includes coping with the economic downturn, the US Government's bailout of AIG and tighter regulations within the industry.

Premier Ewart Brown said: "RIMS is a highlight on our yearly event calendar.

"This year's gathering is particularly significant because we are in the throes of an economic challenge, the likes of which hasn't been seen in about half a century.

"And while Bermuda has not been as severely hit as some of the other jurisdictions, we have not rested on our laurels.

"Instead we have worked hard to ensure that ours has remained atop the list of respected and leading business jurisdictions."