ATAF and OECD join forces to address COVID-19 impact on Tax
African Tax Administration Forum • April 16, 2020
On 16 April, ATAF and OECD joined forces to organise a virtual meeting with over 70 participants from 27 ATAF member countries, to discuss tax policy and tax administration measures governments are considering or could consider as part of their immediate response to COVID-19.
ATAF and OECD have published a range of measures that could help manage the impact of COVID-19 on tax. This webinar was served as a follow-up to these measures and offered an opportunity for Revenue Authorities to share their experiences, and gather insights from their peers on on-going and envisaged policy options.
The workshop brought together representatives of ATAF member countries, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Oversees Development Institute (ODI), the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), and the OECD. In addition to the measures so far developed by ATAF
and the OECD, the Oversees Development Institute (ODI) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) have also published a paper on how tax officials in lower-income countries can respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
In his closing remarks, the Executive Secretary of ATAF, Mr Logan Wort, emphasised the need to multiply such engagements in future in order to develop a comprehensive and coordinated response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 to countries' Tax administrations and economies.
During the meeting, both organisations reflected on their long-standing partnership and noted the milestones achieved to date.
Ms. Baine succeeds Mr. Logan Wort , who has served as ATAF’s Executive Secretary since its establishment in 2009.
Les progrès du Bénin en matière d'analyse des données et de prévision ont également été stimulés par d'autres activités d'apprentissage par les pairs de l'ATAF.
At the heart of the discussions was the impact of the toolkits, suggested approaches, policy briefs, and technical notes developed by the committees.
Ms Mary Baine welcomed Minister Mthuli Ncube's pledge to champion tax advocacy on the continent and mobilise his counterparts for support to the African perspectives in the continental and global tax reforms agenda.
The training marked Phase One of ATAF’s broader research development programme, designed to cultivate a new generation of African tax researchers. It provides not just academic instruction, but practical tools for applying research to real-world tax challenges.
The session brought together tax officials from across Africa. Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia presented their experiences, while Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, and Burkina Faso officials participated in the peer learning discussions.
ATAF in partnership with the World Bank Group and the Zambia Revenue Authority launched its first technical workshop to jointly design and develop a regional Automatic Exchange of Information IT solution.
This initiative forms part of a broader regional study aimed at supporting African tax administrations in assessing the legal and administrative feasibility of strengthening compliance among individuals with substantial assets.
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.