Rutendo Nyeve [email protected]
ALL is set for the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) Exchange of Information (EOI) Continental Conference and Workshop, which kicks off in Victoria Falls today.
Hosted in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the three-day event, brings together tax authority leaders, EOI Competent Authority officials, and international tax auditors from across the continent to advance the fight against illicit financial flows and boost domestic resource mobilisation.
The conference is a follow-up to the inaugural ATAF EOI Continental Conference held in October 2024 and aims to secure and sustain political support for the EOI agenda while providing practical capacity building on priority areas.
“The objective is to secure and sustain political support and ownership of the EOI agenda whilst providing an opportunity to build capacity on selected priority areas,” reads the concept note.
The concept note highlights that since 2009, African tax administrations have identified more than EUR 4.6 billion in additional revenue through EOI, cross-border audits, and voluntary disclosure programmes, with EUR 417 million identified in 2025 alone.
“However, these successes are concentrated in relatively few African countries,” reads the concept note.
The majority are still at the beginning of their EOI journey, facing low awareness, limited expertise, and under-developed domestic laws.
The event will be delivered in person over three days, with the first day serving as a high-level conference focusing on policy reflections and exchanges of views. The second and third days will be workshops dedicated to in-depth discussions and practical guidance on EOI operational issues.
Key sessions will include high-level panel discussions on the realities of the tax transparency agenda in Africa, a session on leadership in EOI, and a discussion on the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI).
Furthermore, practical sessions on EOI on Request in Practice re set to feature, making effective use of AEOI data, simultaneous tax examinations, and a relationship-building session for Competent Authorities.
A live demonstration of the ATAF/ZRA AEOI IT solution, developed with support from the World Bank, as well as sessions on beneficial ownership and engaging with the Global Forum peer review are alse expected.
“The conference seeks to generate and motivate the political will necessary for ATAF members to realise the full potential of EOI providing concrete examples of EOI benefits through real-life case studies, and expanding capability in different forms of EOI, such as new forms of AEOI, simultaneous tax examination and industry wide EOI.”
Tax Authority leaders responsible for international cooperation, domestic resource mobilisation, and tackling illicit financial flows, as well as EOI Competent Authority officials and international tax auditors are expected to attend.
“At the heart of the revamped strategy is supporting African countries to take full advantage of the EOI benefits through capacity building programmes, provision of practical tools including technology tools to enable EOI whilst building the much-needed political support and ownership of the EOI agenda.”
The ATAF Secretariat will close the session on Friday, summarising key lessons learnt and identifying areas for further work.
The event is expected to chart a clear path for African tax administrations to deepen their use of EOI and ensure the continent reaps the full benefits of international tax cooperation.
