On the margin of the First ordinary session of the
fifth parliament which took place this Monday 29 October 2018 at the Kigali
Convention Centre in Rwanda, the Executive Secretary of the African Tax
Administration Forum (ATAF), Mr Logan Wort and the Speaker of the Parliament
Hon. Nkodo Dang, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
formalize cooperation between their respective institutions on tax policy and
tax administration reforms on the continent.
Prior to the signing, Mr Wort was invited by the Hon.
Speaker to make a presentation on the correlation
between Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and Taxation and the collaborative role
that their two institutions can play in addressing this issue on the continent
.
These included capacity building and tax education for Members of Parliament
through ATAF, a stronger advocacy role for Members of Parliament on tax issues
and domestic resource mobilisation in national, regional and continental fora,
in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the role of Parliamentarians
in enacting sound national tax legislations, as well as collaborative tax
research initiatives between PAP and ATAF.
ATAF, which has been endorsed by the African Union as
the African voice on tax matters, considers sound domestic tax legislations and
the development of expertise on tax treaties key conditions for the
implementation of effective tax reforms on the continent. It therefore views
the PAP as a critical strategic partner given the oversight and advocacy roles
of the Parliament.
The MoU comes just days after the 5th
Ordinary General Assembly of ATAF in Gaborone, Botswana, where participants explored
ways to move Africa beyond aid and is viewed by both signatories as a
significant step towards stemming Illicit Financial Flows, improving Domestic
Resource Mobilisation and funding Africa’s development.
About ATAF:
The African Tax
Administration Forum (ATAF) is an organisation which was established by African
revenue authorities in 2009, in order to improve the performance of tax
administrations in Africa. ATAF believes that better tax administration will
enhance economic growth, increase accountability of the state to its citizens,
and more effectively mobilise domestic resources. Now in its ninth year of
operation and headquartered in Pretoria, ATAF seeks to Improve the capacity of
African tax administrations to achieve their revenue objectives, advance the
role of taxation in African governance and state building, provide a voice for African
tax administrations and develop and support partnerships between African
countries and development partners.
