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Prosper Ndlovu in Ouagadougou, BURKINA FASO

JOURNALISTS from across Africa are gathered in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso this week to deliberate on the regional taxation systems and how to scale up collaboration between the media sector and tax administrators towards achieving tax justice and boosting revenue generation to drive sustainable development in the continent.
Given the high dependence of many developing states on aid, which is increasingly being weaponized and is seen as a threat to Africa’s sovereignty, the conference has brought together journalists, tax administration experts, communicators, advocacy groups, policymakers and development partners for intense engagements on different topic areas.

ATAF official, Mr Ziggy Fikiri, and panelists engage with media and stakeholder participants during a panel discussions in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Supported by the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), the meeting seeks to equip media and communications professionals with key insights on emerging tax issues and foster collaborative discussions for impactful reporting.
There is consensus already that efficient and effective tax systems in Africa would not be complete without a robust communication strategy, and journalists are called upon to play a key role in this drive.
Between today and tomorrow, participants will engage over critical issues in taxation, including international tax trends, shining the light on United Nations conventions on tax as well as the problem of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs). These will be discussed in view of how the media can have an impact in shaping public opinion as well as enhancing collaboration in bridging communication gaps.

…More to follow