Revenue Mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa
March 21-22, 2011
Nairobi, Kenya
Improving resource mobilization—raising more revenue, and doing so in ways more supportive of growth and good governance—remains a central challenge in many developing countries faced with pressing spending needs.
The aim of this conference is to identify lessons on what has and has not worked, and to consider how best to deal with emerging challenges (from trade liberalization and the spread of tax incentives, for example). The emphasis will be on discussing experiences of African countries that have successfully reformed their tax policy and revenue administration systems and lessons to be learned from them.
This event will mark the launch of two Topical Trust Funds created in support of the IMF’s technical assistance in tax matters, and the discussion will inform a global conference on resource mobilization to be held on April 17–19, 2011 in Washington, DC.
The conference is co-hosted by the IMF and the Kenyan government with support from the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), and the International Tax Compact—an initiative of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Attendance is by invitation only.
Disclaimer
The website contains papers and web links to papers that will be presented at the Revenue Mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa Conference. The views expressed in these papers are those of the authors only, and the presence of them, or of links to them, on the IMF website does not imply that the IMF, its Executive Board, or its management endorses or shares the views expressed in the papers.
| Resource Mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa | |
|---|---|
| March 21 | |
| 8:30-9:15 |
Registration Logistical information and Registration Form Informations pratiques et Formulaire d’inscription |
| Session 1: Resource mobilization in sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons learned and challenges ahead | |
| 9:15-9:45 | Welcome and opening remarks, Kenyan government representative |
| 9:40-10:00 | Opening remarks, Carlo Cottarelli and Antoinette M. Sayeh |
| 10:00-10:30 | Coffee (press conference) |
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Session 2: An overview: Trends, experiences, challenges
Presentation of FAD paper on revenue mobilization |
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Uganda: Allen Kagina, Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority |
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| 10:30-12:00 | A panel with the IMF and two country officials, presenting success stories on resource mobilization |
| 12:00-1:30 | Lunch—Speech |
| Session 3: Regional integration—A panel discussion | |
| 1:30-3:00 |
Presentation on issues of particular relevance for regional integration in low income
countries, followed by a panel discussion with country representatives Frank Flatters (Professor Emeritus, Queens University, Canada) Botswana [SACU experience]: K.R. Morris, Commissioner General, Botswana Unified Revenue Service Tharcisse Kadede EAC - EAC Experience on Customs Reforms & Taxation |
| 3:00-3:30 | Coffee |
| Session 4: Taxing natural resources | |
| 3:30-5:00 |
Panel: presentations by the IMF; country official presenting a practical reform
example; a representative of civil society; private sector. Presentation: Alistair Watson, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF Liberia: Elfrieda Tamba, Deputy Minister of Finance Marc Ona, Head, Brainforest Michael Bossick, General Manager, Global Tax Advisory, Rio Tinto |
| 6:00-7:00 | Reception |
| Resource Mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa | |
| March 22, 2011 | |
| Session 5: Business taxation: Exemptions, incentives, and international aspects | |
| 9:00-9:45 |
Tax expenditure analysis--country experiences. Miguel Eduardo Pecho, Tax Study and Research Manager, Inter American Center of Tax Administrations Mauritius: Sudhamo Lal, Director General, Mauritius Revenue Authority |
| 9:45-10:30 |
Transfer pricing and international tax planning Nikhil Hira, Tax Partner, Deloitte East Africa, Nairobi—presentation South Africa: Carmen Van Niekerk, Senior Auditor, South African Revenue Service Dickson Khainga, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, Nairobi Ben Dickinson, Senior Advisor, OECD |
| 10:30-11:00 | Coffee |
| Session 6: Reforms to enhance governance in tax policy and revenue administration | |
| 11:00-12:15 |
A panel including presentations from civil society and country examples
Ghana: Seth Terkper, Deputy Minister of Finance Kenya: Duncan Okello, Regional Director, Society for International Development, Nairobi Carmen Schickinger, International Tax Compact, Bonn, Germany |
| 12:15-13:30 | Lunch |
| Session 7: Tax and customs administration reform in sub-Saharan Africa | |
| IMF reviews of administration in Francophone and Anglophone Africa; ITD pilot study on benchmarking tax administration indicators, David Kloeden, IMF | |
| 1:30-3:30 |
Issues, successes and challenges: presentations and panel discussion Rwanda: Ben Kagarama, Commissioner General, Rwanda Revenue Authority Mozambique: Herminio Sueia, General Director of Planning, Studies and International Cooperation Congo, DR: Dieudonne Lokadi Moga, Director General, General Tax Directorate |
| 3:30-4:00 | Coffee |
| Session 8: Closing panel—Lessons learned and the way ahead | |
| 4:00-5:00 |
Panel discussion with administration and policy officials from 4 countries, chaired
by IMF Senegal: Abdoulaye Niane, Chief, Strategy, General Directorate of Taxes |