ACCRA – Key stakeholders in the African tax sector are preparing to gather in Ghana for the 11th Pan-African Conference on Illicit Financial Flows and Taxation (PAC), focusing on domestic resource mobilization and the challenges of illicit financial flows in Africa.
According to Ghana News Agency, the conference is organized by Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) and The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF). It aims to provide a vital platform for officials from Pan-African Organizations, tax administrations, ministries of finance, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, and academia/researchers from across Africa and beyond.
The theme of the conference, ‘Making Global Tax Governance Work for Africa,’ reflects its goal to develop a unified African position on key international tax issues that impact the continent’s ability to raise domestic resources. The conference will also focus on identifying actionable solutions for various actors, including African governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector, crucial for mobilizing domestic resources within the African context. One of the key objectives is to foster partnerships and collaborations among different stakeholders in the tax sector.
The necessity for additional resources in Africa is underscored by the Africa Economic Outlook 2022, which estimated the continent’s additional financial needs for 2020-2022 at USD 432 billion, with an annual Sustainable Development Goals financing gap of around USD 190 billion, as stated by the African Union in 2023. PAC 2023 will explore strategies to bridge this gap by developing regional value chains, enhancing equitable access to markets through intra-Africa trade, and effectively collecting taxes while combating illicit financial flows.
The conference will play a crucial role in strengthening alliances and enabling African countries to lead international dialogues on domestic resource mobilization and addressing illicit financial flows within the continent.