Minister Emphasizes Need for Effective Execution in Realizing Africa's Ambitious Tax Reforms

Addis Ababa, October 8, 2025 (ENA) -- Developing policies and ambitious reforms in taxation and public financial management is not sufficient by itself as the real impacts depend on effective implementation, institutional capacity, and sustainable political commitment of the African continent, Revenues Minister Aynalem Nigussie underscored today.

Opening the 11th Africa Think Tank Summit in Addis Ababa, she noted that experience consistently shows that policy on its own is not sufficient.

According to the Revenues Minister, what Africa needs today is not only policy action but also the right implementation measures to ensure the reforms are translated into tangible outcomes.

 

By narrowing the disconnection between policy commitment and its practical implementation, Africa can strengthen its economic governance, enhance public trust in an institution, and develop a strong and competent public financial management system, the Minister elaborated.

Aynalem further said that effective domestic revenue mobilization is essential for African nations to sustainably invest in essential social services and in productive sectors such as transport, energy, agriculture, and digital innovation, which are engines for driving inclusive growth and long-term transformation.

 

Robust public financial management and domestic resource mobilization are pillars of economic sovereignty, she pointed out, adding that it is also essential for Africa to move decisively from policy to action and from dependency to self-reliance.

The Minister noted that Ethiopia has made sustained and strategic investments in strengthening its public financial management system for several years.

For African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) Executive Secretary, Mamadou Biteye, the gap between policy targets and actual outcomes underscores the implementation challenges.

 

Strengthening citizen trust, improving service delivery, and enhancing administrative capacity are as critical as legal and policy frameworks or policy reforms, he said.

The Executive Secretary further noted that domestic resource mobilization is not just an economic necessity but a question of sovereignty, dignity and freedom. Hence, the need for monitoring implementation policies and ensuring that reforms deliver results on the ground. 

African Leadership Excellence Academy President, Zadig Abraha, stated that the role of the Think Tank is truly manifested where data becomes direction, where research becomes resolved, and where thought becomes transformation.

The three-day summit under the theme, “From Taxation to Action: Bridging Policy and Implementation in Public Financial Management in Africa”, aims to exchange insights on closing the gap between policy and implementation in public financial management (PFM).

It will also explore cutting-edge issues, including digital taxation, debt sustainability, gender-responsive budgeting, and citizen engagement, among others.