The recently concluded African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) held in Kampala will improve tax administration through sharing experiences, bench marking and peer reviewing best practices.

In a brief interview with Business Times, Mary Baine, Commissioner General Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) said that: "Tax revenue contributes 50 percent to Rwanda’s budget.”

However, she added that within the next 10 years Rwanda should not be depending on foreign aid.

African Tax Administration Forum sets to develop the database of African tax systems and methodologies and deliver capacity development events on international and domestic policy and administration issues according to authorities.

This was revealed by the council members of the ATAF while addressing the press immediately after the closure of the two days Tax Forum.

"In order to facilitate our work programme in the longer term, we resolved to the establishment of an African Tax centre” said Oupa Magashura the Commissioner for the South African revenue service and the Chairman of the Tax forum.

Magashura further said in order to enable the council of the ATAF to discharge its functions, we passed necessary resolutions regarding the ATAF agreement, procedures, transitional arrangements, staffing and the budget and work programme for 2010”.

Membership of the ATAF is open to tax administrations of all African states who commit to ATAF’S objectives and who pay an annual membership fee.

The objective of ATAF is to recognize the important role in tax administration in the promotion of economic development and good governance and establish culture of mutual support and professionalism.

ATAF will also promote and facilitate mutual cooperation among African tax administrations in order to increase the level of voluntary tax compliance in member states.

The next meeting of the ATAF (Africa Tax Administration Forum) will be held in March 2010, where a date for the first general assembly will be decided.

Finally the ATAF will coordinate capacity development and technical assistance through seminars, workshops and training courses to respond to expressed needs and interests.

ATAF member states include Botswana, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, Liberia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Sudan, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Niger and Zimbabwe.

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