Musinguzi (inset) will occupy the seat for the next two years.
The Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) will represent the East African region on the ATAF Council.
John Musinguzi Rujoki was elected by the General Assembly at the annual general meeting that concluded last Friday in Kigali, Rwanda. The African Union Commission and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) are the official voices of taxation on the African continent.
Musinguzi will be responsible for facilitating communication between member states regarding tax administration issues, aligning ATAF’s activities with its strategic objectives, and approving the activities proposed by the Secretariat.
At the same assembly, Uganda won a seat on the Council.
As a member of ATAF, Uganda has been actively involved in promoting tax compliance, capacity building, and knowledge sharing among African tax administrations. This win is therefore a testament to Uganda’s leadership and contributions to the tax administration community in Africa.
“I am elated that Uganda has been elected to the ATAF Council. It is a recognition of our efforts to promote tax compliance and administration in Uganda as we continue to work with other African countries to advance our shared goals,” said Musinguzi, the URA Commissioner General.
For Uganda, Musinguzi noted that the recognition will enhance our tax administration systems, promote transparency, and encourage voluntary compliance, which will act as a benchmark for other African countries, showcasing best practices.
The African Tax Administration Forum is a platform for African tax administrations to collaborate, share experiences, and address common challenges in tax administration. It was launched in November 2009 in Kampala, Uganda.
The forum has currently positioned itself as Africa’s homegrown solution to improving revenue collection, advancing the role of taxation in governance and development, and amplifying Africa’s voice on international tax issues for its 37 member countries.
For the past decade, members of this forum can attest to the growth and milestones registered that have steered African revenue performance to where it is today.
ATAF, through the years, has cemented its position as the leading organization on Africa’s tax matters. In addition to being recognized by the African Union as the lead agency on continental tax matters, ATAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pan African Parliament to adopt its model on Double Taxation Agreements (DTA) at the continental level.
Key to note is the active role that ATAF has also played in the global tax agenda over the last decade and has become a key player in the Inclusive Framework and the UN Committee of Experts. The platform gained significant regional and international visibility as they promoted African perspectives on tax issues and represented the views and interests of its members. It has provided technical assistance and capacity building to member states through various international taxation programs such as cross-border taxation, the VAT technical committee, the Legal Counsel Network, and the Exchange of Information Technical Committee. In addition, ATAF has trained over 15,000 officials in international tax and several tax administration matters such as tax treaties, transfer pricing, tax audits, and taxing natural resources.
The organization, through its technical assistance programs, has also assisted members with the revision of key tax legislations, which have helped them increase their revenues.
“I want to applaud ATAF’s capacity building and revenue mobilization initiatives towards revenue administrations in Africa through the numerous assistance programs,” Musinguzi added.
