32 Africa tax administrators are in Kampala for the 1st ATAF/Global Forum Joint Regional Workshop on Cross-Border Assistance in the Recovery of Tax Claims.
Ephraim Murenzi, ATAF Specialist on Exchange of Information said Monday on the opening day of the workshop happening at Speke Resort Hotel in Munyonyo that the recovery of taxes and offshore assets kept abroad continues to be a monumental challenge to many African tax administrations.
Murenzi notes that both ATAF and Global Forum acknowledge that efforts by tax administrators in Africa to enforce domestic laws and recover relevant taxes but said that these efforts “cannot bear fruits unless there is enhanced cooperation through exchange of information and other administrative assistance in tax matters.”
His point was re-echoed by Ervice Tchouata, the Senior Tax Policy Advisor who said that: “We need to keep strengthening the exchange of information framework to enhance administrative capabilities so that administrators are well equipped to use these tools.”
Uganda Revenue Authority – URA – Commissioner General, John R. Musinguzi while officiating at the opening of the workshop described the workshop as timely.
“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 space of self-sufficiency,” he said.
“Here we are again to put our minds together to address the challenge that is beforehand 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 no detection.”
But, he added: “I am afraid they can no longer succeed with this as long as we choose this path of information exchange where we’re able to prevent these moves and recover revenue.”
The workshop running under the theme “Cross-border assistance in recovery of tax claims” ends on Wednesday.
