The organisation will also report on its progress with the transfer pricing workshops it has set up to help revenue authorities acquire the skills needed to regulate fund transfers in multinational companies.
“We are tabling an annual report that will reflect over 300 African tax officials having received skills training through ATAF’s 16 technical training programmes,” said Logan Wort, ATAF’s acting executive secretary. “Working groups on transfer pricing and tax treaties are progressing very well and engagements on the challenges of domestic resource mobilisation have been very fruitful.”
Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, the deputy prime minister of Mauritius, will open the meeting, at which the ATAF chairman, Oupa Magashula, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner, will officiate.
Speakers will include Ben Kagarama, commissioner general of the Rwanda Revenue Authority, Ifueko Omoigui of the Nigerian revenue agency, Michael Waweru, the commissioner general of the Kenyan Revenue Authority and a number of university professors.
The meeting will consider audit processes and compliance strategies. The assembly will also discuss the distinctions between tax havens and genuine attempts to offer tax incentives for attracting foreign investment to stimulate economic national development. A panel from the business sector will also participate.
Magashula said he is satisfied with the progress made by ATAF, which was only formed in 2009: “African Revenue bodies have responded very well to the formation of ATAF. Over the past year the organisation has grown to 34 member countries from the continent. The opportunity for heads of tax administration to engage on common challenges of domestic revenue collection and the building of capable institutions has been very valuable.”
