BONUS - RUSTENBURG - South Africa, represented by Commissioner Edward Kieswetter, was elected unopposed as the new Chair of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) Council for a two-year period during ATAF’s 8th General Assembly convened in Kigali, Rwanda on 4 December.
This, in support of SARS’ strategic objectives that emphasises the need and importance to work with and through key stakeholders to improve the tax eco-system – domestically, regionally and internationally. The Forum is Africa’s leading continental body tasked with supporting members to build efficient and effective tax administrations, thereby enhancing economic development domestically and, importantly, improving the living standards of the people of Africa.
The ATAF Council provides strategic leadership and direction to the work of ATAF which serves the tax and revenue administrations of Africa. The impact of ATAF is reflected in its Executive Secretary’s most recent report to its General Assembly which reported that ATAF trained 3 242 tax officials from forty-seven countries during the 2023-2024 period.
Additionally, ATAF contributed to the collection of USD 702 million worth of tax revenues - that which would otherwise not have been collected through its country assistance programmes.
South Africa has a longstanding relationship with ATAF, having hosted its interim Secretariat after its formation in 2009, and its host country since the organisation became a fully independent international organisation.
On South Africa’s election, Commissioner Kieswetter expressed his sincere appreciation for the trust members have placed in South Africa to lead the organisation and confirmed South Africa’s commitment to ensure that the organisation always serve the interests of its members.
“South Africa brings to the position the experience of its own transformational journey as it continues its journey of building a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired.” South Africa’s election comes at a time when the country has taken up the G20 Presidency and committed to ensure that Domestic Resource Mobilisation features high on the G20 and international agenda, which resources are an important component if countries are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also an important time as ATAF further consolidates its support to the African Union and the Africa Group members at the United Nations (UN) discussions on the development of the UN Framework convention on international tax cooperation, which seeks to ensure greater inclusivity in international tax whilst retaining and strengthening the technical advances made in developing and implementing the Inclusive Framework on BEPS.
This appointment firmly recognises South Africa’s standing in the international tax and customs world and follows Commissioner Kieswetter’s leadership of the WCO and Vice Chair of the OECD Forum for Tax Administrations.
