Conference on Leveraging Digitalization to Improve Tax Compliance, Revenue Mobilization Concluded

Addis Ababa April 23/2024 (ENA) A two-day conference aimed at leveraging digitalization to improve tax compliance and revenue mobilization has concluded in Addis Ababa today.

The international conference organized by Ministry of Revenues, in collaboration with the World Bank, has attracted many experts and stakeholders from emerging countries. 

Briefing the media, Revenues Minister Aynalem Nigussie underscored the significance of digitalization in improving revenue collection by enhancing efficiency and minimizing cost.

Collecting revenue through digitalization also enables the tax administration to be fairer and transparent as compared with the manual system.

According to her, the Ministry of Revenues has been developing software to digitalize more the revenue collecting system.

   At present, several platforms that enable tax payers to pay online have been established and   those are contributing to enhancing the efficiency of collecting revenue.  

    

World Bank Lead Governance Specialist in Ethiopia, Rajul Awasthi told ENA that the purpose of the conference is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of tax administrations by implementing digitalization.

Noting that there haven challenges in Africa for many decades in the sector, he added that the World Bank is now helping countries to address the challenges through financing and technical assistance. 

For him, digitalization is the best way to move forward in improving efficiency and effectiveness of tax administration and the World Bank is committed providing continuous assistance to realize digitalization.

  According to Awasthi, the conference has created a platform for peer-to-peer learning between countries in the field.

Delegates mainly from African countries, including Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, and Somalia, as well as experts from other countries have participated in the conference, it was learned.

The World Bank lead governance specialist, who stated that the Bank has been involved in helping countries to improve their tax systems, improve domestic revenue mobilization through financial and technical assistance, said the World Bank is working closely with ministries of Revenues and Finance to improve the capacity in the sector.