The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations in 2015, which are aimed at “ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and security,” are being diligently pursued by nations around the globe.
Arguably, taxation remains a major sustainable source of revenue that could help countries achieve these goals, and tax administrations in West Africa have identified good leadership culture as a key driver for the SDGs.
It was on the strength of this conviction that the theme “Boosting Tax Revenue through Efficient Leadership and Good Corporate Governance” was chosen as the main topic of the WATAF 4th High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD)/18th General Assembly (GA), held from 21-23 September 2022, in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
At the HLPD, tax officials from member states, tax experts from universities, representatives from international tax organizations, civil society organizations, regional financial institutions, development partners, and many other important people came together to share ideas and experiences.
One of the major highpoints of the event was the need to adopt efficient leadership in order to enhance the efforts of the tax administration in mobilising the needed revenue for development within the regional bloc.
A research briefing on “Tax Treaty Policy and Practice in West Africa: A Comparative Study of Selected Jurisdictions,” one of the series of IBFD-WATAF research collaborations, was also launched at the event.
The third day of the event was dedicated to the GA, a meeting where decisions relating to WATAF activities are agreed upon. The key decision of the meeting was the constitution of The Gambia as the WATAF Chairman; Burkina Faso as the Vice Chairman; and the Republic of Benin, Mali, and Senegal as the council members (Nigeria is a permanent member of the Council).
The outcome statement is provided below.
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