11th ATAF COUNTRY CORRESPONDENTS CONFERENCE
ATAF Communication • February 25, 2022
“ATAF In the New Decade”
OUTCOME STATEMENT
17-18 February 2022
- The 11th Country Correspondents Conference was jointly hosted by the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and the Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR). Held virtually over two days, the conference’s objectives consisted of unpacking the “ATAF in the New Decade” programme and defining the role of Country Correspondents in the programme’s implementation. The meeting was attended by 112 participants, comprising ATAF Country Correspondents, officials involved in capacity building and legal experts from ATAF member tax administrations.
- At the end of two days of intense work, the 11th ATAF Country Correspondents Conference succeeded in achieving its desired outcomes.
- We as Country Correspondents note the progress made in implementing the General Assembly’s resolutions to review the ATAF instruments through the Governing Instruments Review Project, the New Decade action plan and its implications for Members and the organisation as a whole. We have also taken note of our roles and responsibilities in this regard.
- The Secretariat has made significant progress over the past decade. We congratulate the organisation for pursuing the consultative process and we look forward to the engagement with the respective revenue authorities’ legal experts at the Legal Experts workshop to be held on the 28th of February 2022. We further eagerly await the adoption of a flexible and future-proof agreement that encompasses ATAF’s value proposition while safeguarding the principles of good governance.
- We are proud to be associated with the name “ATAF” and to echo its name in our fora. “ATAF” is a brand on its own, one that should be both maintained and promoted.
- We strongly welcome the initiative to increase ATAF’s regional presence, which we believe is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of member needs, decentralising service delivery, building closer ties with members and offering more closely tailored capacity building initiatives.
- We take note of our duty as Country Correspondents, conscious of the fact that we are central to the delivery of the organisation’s mission; that we are ATAF’s ambassadors. We reaffirm our commitment to improve the collaboration between the Secretariat and our tax administrations and will make every effort to support ATAF in achieving its vision.
- In addition, we note both the efforts undertaken by ATAF and their impact on the negotiations to redefine international tax standards. We commit to continue working with the Secretariat so that countries can better benefit from the outcome of this process.
- We thank the ATAF Secretariat, its members and partners for two days of fruitful work as well as for their dedication to the domestic resource mobilisation cause in Africa.
Lomé, 18 February 2022
View the statement in French and Portuguese.
The ATAF Model Tax Agreement serves as a guiding instrument to help African nations negotiate treaties that better protect their interests, ensure fair allocation of taxing rights, and enhance domestic revenue mobilisation.
CEMAC and ATAF agreed to explore practical avenues for cooperation, including technical assistance, regional training programmes, and platforms for experience exchange.
A key outcome of the training was the heightened awareness among FIRS officials of the critical role data plays in modern tax administration.
The training aimed to strengthen the capacity of tax officials to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes such as tax evasion, money laundering, and illicit financial flows. It focused on practical approaches to financial crime investigation within the tax context.
Mr. Logan Wort emphasized the critical role of taxpayers in fostering economic growth and sustaining public services.
Taxation is a key aspect to increase gender equality since tax is one of the building blocks of society. In particular, it creates domestic resources which are a major source of funding for economic development and empowerment.
ATAF emphasised the importance of harmonised tax systems and advocating for revenue-generation mechanisms that would sustain government finances while fostering trade liberalisation.
ATAF is gearing up for a highly anticipated event: the ATAF Women in Tax Network Leadership Conference. Set to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 5-6, 2025, this conference promises to be a pivotal moment for women in the tax and economic sectors across Africa.
The ATAF Women In Tax Network (AWITN) pledge is a commitment by various countries to adopt a focused, gender-sensitive approach to tax policy and administration.
The workshop aimed to bridge the gap between tax authorities and the media, improving the clarity and accessibility of tax-related information to foster public awareness and boost tax compliance.
