The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed Tuesday in Abuja charged participants at the ongoing 17th General Assembly and 10th Anniversary of the West African Tax Administrations Forum (WATAF) to put on their thinking caps and explore possibilities of developing local solutions that works, either within domestic tax rules or along the regional blocs to address evolving challenges within the sub region.
Mrs. Ahmed said, “In view of the foregoing, I urge all delegates to remain focused on the fact that the ultimate goal is the equitable re-allocation of profits, to maximize revenue for our member States. The issues I have pinpointed and others which I have not, should agitate our minds in the course of our discussion sessions and it is my hope that this conference will produce an actionable communique that will contribute to policy formulation particularly for member states,” she said.
Earlier in his welcome address, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Muhammad Nami, said, “Speaking about the need for collaboration, our theme this year The Taxation of the Digital Economy: Exploring Untapped Revenue Sources in Africa” is as good an illustration as any that we will get on the need to work together as partners in the progress of our region as a whole.
“When you speak of taxing the digital economy, you are talking about an economy without physical borders, trade and commerce that transcends our natural geographical delineations.”
