ATAF PUBLISHES MEASURES TO HELP MANAGE THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON TAX
African Tax Administration Forum • April 8, 2020
April 08, 2020, Pretoria, South Africa – The African Tax Administration has published a document titled “Suggested COVID-19 Measures for Revenue Authorities” in an effort to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on African countries’ ability to raise tax revenues.
The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) released today a series of suggested measures that African Revenue Authorities should consider in their responses to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The document comes at a time when an increasing number of African countries are being affected by the virus, with devastating effects on health and national economies.
Although the impact of the COVID-19 has been, thus far, most damaging in Asia, Europe and America, many African countries, including South Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, have crossed the 1000 mark in terms of their number of confirmed cases.
ATAF’s Suggested COVID-19 Measures for Revenue Authorities
therefore provides guidelines to respond to the tax-related challenges, current and anticipated, posed by the pandemic. It takes into account the peculiarities of African Tax jurisdictions and systems, as well as the uniqueness of the African socio-political and economic landscapes. The measures are a combination of short-term actions that can be immediately implemented by Tax administrations and medium to long term interventions which may require legislative or policy changes for their effective implementation.
The Executive Secretary of ATAF, Mr Logan Wort has raised the need to act swiftly and efficiently while the infection rates are still relatively low on the continent. In his foreword, he reiterates that “African countries are fortunate as the pandemic has not affected the continent to the extent that it has devastated other parts of the world. This gives us a window of opportunity to learn from the lessons of countries who are further along the curve in their battle against COVID 19.”
ATAF’s Suggested COVID-19 Measures for Revenue Authorities form part of the organisation’s efforts to help Members limit the damaging impact of the virus on Domestic Resource Mobilisation.
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.
