adminOliver Kazunga Senior Reporter
DELEGATES from about 30 nations meet in Victoria Falls from tomorrow for a three-day high level African Tax Administrators Forum on Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the event will focus on how modern technology can be embraced to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness of any tax administration.
“The conference will focus on ‘ICT in tax administration leadership.’ It will bring together heads and senior officials of African tax administrations and ministries of finance, representatives of international and continental organisations and leading information technology experts,” said Ndoro.
The participants are drawn from countries such as Kenya, Botswana, Mauritius, Benin, Togo, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Burundi, Liberia, Lesotho, Gambia, Burkina Faso and Niger.
“The conference will as well incorporate an exhibition and presentations by IT solution providers,” Ndoro added.
Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda would be the guest speaker.
Discussions would centre on leveraging global ICT trends to enhance modernisation of African tax administrations, establishing an integrated revenue collection platform, as well as using technology to mitigate challenges of tax evasion and diversion of export products.
Ndoro said the conference comes at a time when it has been observed that technology can minimise operational costs as well play a direct role in enhancing voluntary compliance through simplification of processes and easing of payments.
“No tax administration can claim to be on the path to global leadership if it does not fully embrace technology. Keeping pace with technology requires extensive research and it is crucial that administrations participate in sessions that provide a strategic analysis of the available technologies and the potential value of acquiring such new innovations.
“Implementing new technology requires administrations to retrain and up-skill their staff as well as eliminate the natural friction that results from making operational changes,” he said.
Ndoro said managers on their part should be aware of the value of forecasting technological innovations to stay ahead.
It is hoped that the conference would accord participants an opportunity to learn from home grown regional and country successes while drawing from globally acknowledged innovations.
“Conference deliberations will ensure mutually beneficial exchange of innovative ideas while the exhibition will give participants exposure to some of the ideal technological practices in tax administration,” he said.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter