ATAF COUNCIL
The Council aims to guide the Organisation in achieving its vision, mission and objectives for African tax administrations. Subject to such directives as may be given by the General Assembly, Council is responsible for the overall management of the business of ATAF.
Furthermore, as a means of organisational strengthening, the ATAF Council has established three Governance Committees among its members to assist it in its duties in guiding and facilitating specific areas of responsibility.
1st ATAF Council Meeting: 29 - 30 April 2010 - Durban, South Africa
The first ATAF Council, comprising of 10 members, was elected at the ATAF Inaugural Conference in Kampala in November 2009. At this occasion, Council was tasked with guiding the Organisation in the initial stages of its establishment along a path that will make ATAF a credible, effective and sustainable organisation as it pursues its vision, mission and strategic objectives. The Heads of the tax administrations of Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa (chairperson) and Zimbabwe comprise the first ATAF Council. The Executive Secretary serves as an ex officio member of Council.
2nd ATAF Council Meeting: 15 - 16 November 2010 - Tunis, Tunisia
For the purposes of establishing ATAF as a legal entity and an international organisation, at its 2nd Meeting in Tunis on 15 -16 November 2010, the ATAF Council adopted, by majority, the final texts of the ATAF Agreement and its corresponding Rules & Procedures through the signing of a Resolution, indicating their acceptance of the final text.
The finalisation of the ATAF founding documents at the 2nd Council Meeting thus paves the way for all member States to proceed with their respective domestic processes for approval, signature and / or ratification of the ATAF Agreement and its corresponding Rules & Procedures.
3rd ATAF Council Meeting: 2 - 3 June 2011 - Kigali, Rwanda
The Rwanda Revenue Authority hosted the 3rd Meeting of the ATAF Council in Kigali on 2 and 3 June 2011.
Two newly appointed heads of their respective tax administrations, Commissioner General Ben Bahizi Kagarama of Rwanda and Commissioner General Keneilwe R. Morris of Botswana were warmly welcomed. A representative of the Revenue Authority of Burundi, Ms Aude Toyi, attended the meeting as an observer. The Interim Secretariat’s Report of Activities from November 2010 to June 2011, as well as the revised ATAF 2011 Work Plan, was approved by Council.
4th ATAF Council Meeting: 4 - 6 March 2012 - Cape Town, South Africa
Special guests included the Regional Representative of the African Development Bank for Southern Africa, Dr. Ebrima Faal, as well as the Director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration of the OECD, Mr. Pascal Saint-Amans. The Commissioner General of Malawi was invited to attend the meeting as an observer.
As part of the Secretariat Report covering the Organisation’s activities from July 2011 to February 2012, Council approved the Secretariat’s proposal to establish an ATAF Technical Assistance Unit (TAU).
Recognising that ATAF needs to make rapid progress in providing a uniform solution for the exchange of tax information to ensure legal certainty for taxpayers, members and for third countries, Council consequently approved the following:
- a draft Multilateral Treaty on Exchange of Information for ATAF to enable mutual assistance between member states;
- the facilitation and support by the ATAF Secretariat of Multiparty Negotiations for ATAF Member States;
- a proposal for Member States to adopt the Internationally Accepted Standards of Transparency and Exchange of Information; and
- a proposal for the participation of ATAF Member States in the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information.
Council’s consideration and consequent approval of these four products makes it more important than ever that ATAF Member States show their determination to combat tax fraud and tax evasion and to improve information exchange in tax matters, in full respect of taxpayer's rights.