A Decade of NEPAD - Economic Commission for Africa - uneca

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38 A Decade of NEPAD: Deepening African Private Sector and Civil Society Ownership and Partnership African Tax Administration Forum In August 2008, Commissioners and Senior Tax Administrators from 39 African companies met with selected development partners in Pretoria, South Africa to discuss state building, capacity development and taxation. The focus of the conference was on: a) the importance of taxation in state building, b) the evolving environment of taxation in Africa, and c) the need for an African led initiative to strengthen African tax administrations. Out of the gathering came a mandate to establish the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF). Key areas of focus of the new organ include expanding the African tax base and improving tax collection capacity on the continent as a vehicle to mobilize domestic finance in support of the continent’s development. The ATAF was thus commissioned to serve as the voice of African Tax Commissioners as a body and as a focal point for exchanging experiences on good practices, benchmarking performance, improving co-operation and setting strategic direction for member state representatives. In February 2009, the Steering Group of ATAF, which is comprised of representatives from Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, met to develop ATAF’s action plan. The organization’s roadmap anticipates a formal launch late in 2009 or early in 2010. Key near term projects include commencing research on Africa’s tax systems and regimes, developing and delivering a technical support programme for African officials, and constructing a framework for diagnostic studies. Key donor resources of the organization include the OECD’s Forum on Tax Administration, the African Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Customs Organization. 51 51 African Economic Outlook 2009, OECD and AfDB, pp. 53-54
NEPAD and the African Private Sector In the founding document of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) published in 2001, African leaders committed themselves to working toward: the mobilization of private capital flows (Section C1, iv.), promoting the private sector and African exports (Section C2, vii and viii), and toward the implementation of NEPAD, the promotion of the private sector was put forth as one of three key goals alongside the development of agriculture and regional integration enabling infrastructure. 52 The specific objectives of NEPAD vis-à-vis promoting the private sector were: ӹ To ensure a sound and conducive environment for private sector activities, with particular emphasis on domestic entrepreneurs, ӹ To promote foreign direct investment and trade, with particular emphasis on exports; ӹ To develop micro, small and medium enterprises, including the informal sector. The actions required “at the Africa level” included: ӹ Undertaking measures to enhance the entrepreneurial, managerial and technical capacities of the private sector by supporting technology acquisition, production improvements and training and skills development; ӹ Strengthening chambers of commerce, trade and professional associations, and their regional networks; 52 The African Union’s New Partnership For Africa’s Development, Programme of Action, 2001 reprinted by the Africa Section, U.N. Department of Public Information, 2008, pp. 24, 28, and 33 39 4CHAPTER ӹ Organising dialogue between the government and the private sector to develop a shared vision of economic development strategy and remove constraints to private sector development, ӹ Strengthening and encouraging the growth of micro, small and medium scale industries through appropriate technical support from service institutions and civil society, and improve access to capital by strengthening micro-financing schemes, with particular attention to women entrepreneurs. At the “international level”, NEPAD called on supporters to: ӹ Promote entrepreneurial development programmes for training managers of African firms; ӹ Provide technical assistance in relation to the development of an appropriate regulatory environment, promotion of small, medium and micro-enterprises and, establish micro-financing schemes for the African private sector. In regards to the promotion of African exports, selected key objectives included the commitment: ӹ To increase intra-regional trade via promoting crossborder interaction among African firms, and ӹ To deal with short-term skills shortages through appropriate firm level incentives and training. To achieve these aims, African leaders further pledged to:
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