Reflections on the First Decade of ATAF: Advancing Inclusivity, Impact, and Innovation
Explore the journey of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) through its first decade, focusing on themes of inclusivity, impact, and innovation. Highlights include the organization's continental identity, challenges faced, strategies for membership growth, enhancing member engagement, and ensuring sustainable resourcing for the future. Learn about ATAF's role in tax policy, combating illicit financial flows, and influencing the global tax agenda.
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Presentation Transcript
Reflections on ATAFs first Decade Richard Parry
Inclusivity Impact Innovation 2
INCLUSIVITY AND IDENTITY ATAF s continental identity multiregional and multilingual Don t waste the crisis : ATAF s launch and consolidation A mature ATAF: strong tax policy, efficient administration, sustainable economies Challenges for the new decade Representation and the AU Inclusivity and other African organisations Developing ATAF s foreign policy Building membership: Why would you NOT want to join ATAF? Dealing with diversity a representative Secretariat 3
LISTENING TO MEMBERS VOICES ATAF S independence at the heart of its success Strengthening our members voices Expanding membership A new Members Charter Building structures to meet the next decade Ministerial structures connecting policy and administration. The future of nexus work Strengthening engagement of members through Council Member involvement in sub-committees Building an Ambassadorial Team A flexible framework for staffing 4
RESOURCING: THE NEXT DECADE Demand for services increasingly likely to outstrip supply ATAF s ultimate objective is to meet its own costs Review of membership fees: objectives, payment patterns, exceptions, long term budgeting Other potential resources institute approach Need to refocusing relations with Partners: Develop Code of Engagement (Partner s Charter) contributions, development and use of intangibles, hiring and responsibilities of secondees. Creation of a Advisory Board to advise Council on resourcing etc Strategic approach to identification and engagement of next generation of resource partners 5
IMPACT ATAF and the financial crisis (a brief overview) Tax and development Evasion and illicit financial flows BEPS Post BEPS - digitalisation Challenges Access to and use of data and information Maximising benefits through implementation of international tax standards Influencing the global agenda Reinforcing the ATAF Brand Technical assistance Africa s voice ATAF s Research Platform 6
IMPACT: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE The challenge: A continental approach to TA client focused TA approach to downstream work domestic-international-admin balance engaging policy counterparts in TA work at working level African driven solutions, Solutions in international tax African best practices/technology African delivery of TA and external support teams Suggestions for building TA sustainability (and upstream work) Joint research-TA project on TA sustainability Technical committee on domestic tax policy and admin Policy briefs to cover domestic as well as international issues 7
IMPACT: AFRICAs VOICE ON TAXATION The challenge Achieving a coherent and effective voice reflecting diversity of interests and capacity across continent ATAF representation Larger economies Countries not otherwise represented Policy briefs in conjunction with regional orgs eg ECOWAS to reflect divergent regional perspectives Working with partners Negotiate practical support from OECD and UN in standard setting, as well as World Bank through online briefings, pre-meeting seminars Regular technical/procedural briefings digested for members 8
IMPACT: RESEARCH WORK The challenge: Making research count Maintaining ATAF s effective voice through understanding key issues, trends, positions and data. The role of research Support on going TA work providing depth and context to interventions using ATO and ATRN Member oriented research strategy Identify future oriented issues Research and the future. A joint research - technical assistance project to learn lessons from first decade and set out future orientations Provide a regular future oriented research perspective to Council to allow planning based on future trends 9
INNOVATION: THE NEXT DECADE The world outside ATAF Tax means running behind the bus Technology and digitalisation of the economy (not just the digital economy) - problems in search of solutions The future of source and residence Administrative solutions to policy issues Harnessing African innovation beyond BEPS The key challenge for African tax regimes: Accessing, storing, retrieving, and manipulating data ATAF s role Build a specialised cross-directorate team to consider digitisation issues from African perspective Develop a funded programme around African countries ability to access, securely receive (using CRS), store, and manipulate data. 10
SUMMARY Inclusivity: increase membership and engagement Members Charter Pro-active and strategic foreign policy Resources Membership review Code of Engagement (Partner s charter) Advisory Board for Stakeholders Impact: TA Downstream client focused model TA Upstream domestic as well as international policy Joint Research-TA sustainability project Innovation Digitisation as next key challenge Project: accessing, receiving, storing, manipulating data Building staff interaction, mentoring system, handbook etc. 11
