ATAF HIGH-LEVEL TAX POLICY DIALOGUE: ENSURING AFRICA’S PLACE IN THE TAXATION OFTHE DIGITAL ECONOMY
African Tax Administration Forum • August 22, 2019
OUTCOME STATEMENT
Over 110 officials from Ministries of Finance and African tax administrations of 21 countries, Members of Parliament, Civil Society, AfDB, OECD, UNECA, Development Partners including DfID, GIZ and SECO, other key partners and individual tax policy experts met in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on 31st July and 1st August 2019 for the 3rd ATAF High-Level Tax Policy Dialogue, with the theme “Ensuring Africa’s Place in the Taxation of the Digital Economy” to discuss building a stronger nexus in Africa between tax policy and tax administration. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority hosted the event and supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
His Worship, the Mayor of Victoria Falls, Mr Somvelo Dhlamini, welcomed all participants to Victoria Falls, stating that as one of the seven (7) Wonders of the World, it is an appropriate location for African countries to meet and make decisions that will benefit the continent. He stated that it is a privilege for his city to host this High-Level dialogue of African tax experts, and hoped all would have time for some tourist attraction, and the meeting was declared open by the ATAF Chairman Mr Tunde Fowler.
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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.