African administrators harp on improved taxation

The African Tax Administrators (ATA) have called for better ways of collecting taxes without hurting businesses and individuals.

This was part of the discussions at the ongoing seventh African Tax Administration Forum’s (ATAF) general assembly and other ancillary meetings in Lagos, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Senior tax officials from 40 African countries, including tax practitioners and representatives of multilateral agencies and other regional tax organisations attended the conference.

Chairman of FIRS, Mohammad Nami, said the intersection between provision of the much-needed resources to fund government’s expenditure as tax administrators, while showing empathy for the burdens citizens faced made the theme of the seventh general assembly apt.

He said the unprecedented global shocks in 2020 occasioned by COVID-19 were currently made worse by the Russia-Ukraine war.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu, urged participants to ensure that take-aways from their deliberations proved invaluable towards bridging the revenue gap in a world saddled with both unquenchable taste and diminishing resources.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) Mr Ayodele Subair, observed that Lagos as the centre of excellence was experiencing transformational infrastructural projects that would improve the quality of lives of citizens.

Chairman of ATAF, Dr Philippe Kokou Tchodie, expressed gratitude to FIRS and the Nigerian government for their cooperation and hospitality in accommodating the seventh general assembly.

He harped on the role of taxation in achieving sustainable development on the African continent.