The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) signs a historical Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in a bid to strengthen tax legislations in Africa and combat illicit financial flows (IFF).
During the first ordinary session of the fifth parliament, the Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Mr Logan Wort and the President of the Pan-African Parliament Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise cooperation between their respective institutions on tax policy and tax administration reforms on the continent.
Prior to the signing, Mr Wort delivered a presentation to the Plenary on the correlation between Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and Taxation and the collaborative role that the two institutions could play in addressing this issue on the continent.
These included capacity building and tax education for Members of Parliament through ATAF, a stronger advocacy role for Members of Parliament on tax issues and domestic resource mobilisation in national, regional and continental fora, in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the role of Parliamentarians in enacting sound national tax legislations, as well as collaborative tax research initiatives between PAP and ATAF.
ATAF, which has been endorsed by the African Union as the African voice on tax matters, considers sound domestic tax legislations and the development of expertise on tax treaties key for the implementation of effective tax reforms on the continent. It therefore views the PAP as a critical strategic partner given the oversight and advocacy roles of the Parliament.
The MoU comes just days after the 5th Ordinary General Assembly of ATAF in Gaborone, Botswana, where participants explored ways to move Africa beyond aid and is viewed by both signatories as a significant step towards stemming Illicit Financial Flows, improving Domestic Resource Mobilisation and funding Africa’s development.
About ATAF:
The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) is an organisation which was established by African revenue authorities in 2009, in order to improve the performance of tax administrations in Africa. ATAF believes that better tax administration will enhance economic growth, increase accountability of the state to its citizens, and more effectively mobilise domestic resources. Now in its ninth year of operation and headquartered in Pretoria, ATAF seeks to Improve the capacity of African tax administrations to achieve their revenue objectives, advance the role of taxation in African governance and state building, provide a voice for African tax administrations and develop and support partnerships between African countries and development partners.
About PAP:
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union. PAP is one of the nine organs proposed in the 1991 Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty).
Its purpose, as set out in article 17 of the AU Constitutive Act, is “to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the continent.” The ultimate aim is for the Parliament to be an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected by universal suffrage. The Continental Parliament exercises oversight, and has advisory and consultative powers.