By Solomon Kimbugwe
“The time is now for Africa to rise to ensure we collect at least 20% of our GDP so we can take our citizens into the era of self-sufficiency,” said the URA Commissioner General – John R Musinguzi while opening the 1st ATAF/Global Forum Joint Regional Workshop on Cross-border Assistance in the Recovery of Tax Claims.
Revenue administrators from 32 African Countries jetted into Uganda over the weekend for a three-days meeting of minds that has commenced today at Speke Resort Munyonyo to create inroads into the recovery of taxes and offshore assets hidden abroad, a trend that has caused the mother-continent to lose millions of dollars annually.
Ephraim Murenzi, the ATAF Specialist on Exchange of Information reckoned that both ATAF and Global Forum acknowledge the efforts by tax administrators in Africa to enforce domestic laws and recover relevant taxes but however noted that these efforts cannot bear fruits unless there is enhanced cooperation through exchange of information and other administrative assistance in tax matters.
This stance was shared by Ervice Tchouata, a Senior Tax Policy Advisor who noted that Africa needs to keep strengthening the exchange of information framework to enhance her administrative capabilities.
Cognizant of how timely the workshop is, the URA Commissioner General urged tax administrators to share openly ideas to address the challenge of cross border mobility of financial assets which some non-compliant taxpayers are taking advantage of to shift capital from one state to another with little to no detection.
“I am afraid, they (non-compliant taxpayers) can no longer succeed with this as long as we choose this path of information exchange where we are able to prevent these moves and recover revenue.”, added CG.
The workshop running under the theme “Cross-border assistance in recovery of tax claims” ended Wednesday 29th March, 2023.
