ATAF General Assembly comes to lifeATAF General Assembly comes to life

A call to action has been made for African tax administrations to go beyond revenue collection and become state builders by focusing on transparency, service delivery, and citizen trust.

This message emerged from the 7th African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) General Assembly, currently underway in Lagos, Nigeria, hosted in partnership with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Deliberations centred around the social contract between governments and taxpayers — where revenue authorities must support delivery of healthcare, education, and infrastructure to foster voluntary tax compliance.

Revenue Challenges Amid Global Shocks

In his opening remarks, ATAF Executive Secretary Mr. Logan Wort noted the mounting pressure on tax systems:

“The challenge of revenue administration is immense… The ability for governments to provide social services will be jeopardised if we don’t address these challenges,” he said, citing COVID-19, inflation, climate change, and geopolitical instability as major stressors.

Wort emphasized that domestic revenue mobilisation is essential for resilience and policy innovation.

ZIMRA’s Voice at the Assembly

ZIMRA Commissioner General Regina Chinamasa moderated a key session titled “Tax as a Social Contract and Civic Duty – Managing Taxpayers’ Perception.” The discussion highlighted the importance of linking public service delivery to tax morale and citizens’ willingness to comply.

 OyOsCloud: Enabling Transparent and Trusted Tax Systems

As African tax authorities strive to improve service delivery and restore public confidence, OyOsCloud is providing technology that promotes:

Real-time, digital fiscalisation

WhatsApp-based taxpayer assistance

Automated compliance reporting and audit trails

Transparent, user-friendly platforms for SMEs, farmers, and traders

OyOsCloud supports the ATAF vision of building resilient, trusted, and digitally enabled tax ecosystems — where citizens can see the value of the taxes they pay.