ATAF ELECTS TOGO’S PHILIPPE TCHODIE AS NEW CHAIRMAN
African Tax Administration Forum • November 6, 2020
04 November 2020
– The General Assembly Meeting of ATAF elected Philippe Tchodie as the new Chairman of the continental organisation at its 6th General Assembly. The ATAF Council is elected for a two-year term to provide strategic guidance and leadership for the fulfilment of the organisation’s vision and objectives. The new Council to preside over the destiny of the organisation is composed of Togo (Chair), South Africa (Vice-Chair), Burundi, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda, The Gambia, Uganda and Zambia.
In his acceptance speech address, Mr Tchodie stated that the election of a Francophone Chair for the first time in the history of ATAF is testimony of the organisation’s Pan-African spirit. Togo has sat in several of ATAF Councils including the incumbent one, but this will be the first time it occupies its highest seat.
Mr Tchodie expressed his gratitude to all the Members for the trust placed on Togo and himself. He pledged to use the opportunity of Togo’s Presidency to further expand ATAF in Francophone countries, pursue reforms within the Secretariat to ensure greater regional representation and consolidate the progress so far made in the financial sustainability of the organisation.
Amongst other key decisions made during the General Assembly were the adoption of the new ATAF Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025, taking an already prosperous ATAF to even greater heights. They noted critical times ahead with the on-going debate on the taxation of the digital economy and the devastating blow dealt by COVID-19 on Africa’s economies and the need for ATAF to enhance its technical assistance towards domestic resource mobilization.
The ATAF General Assembly further renewed the ATAF Executive Secretary’s tenure for an additional four-year term, as a prudent move towards ensuring stability within the organisation as it tackles the challenges related to the on-going reforms of the international tax system and impact of COVID-19 on revenue mobilisation.
The meeting was held virtually and was attended by 36 out of the 39 ATAF Members.
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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.