Officials talk tax in Botswana

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Inadequate tax legislation that lags behind business practice is one of the biggest challenges to revenue officials, the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators’ 35th Technical Conference heard.

The November conference, hosted by the Botswana Unified Revenue Service, took place in Gaborone with the theme Casting the Tax Net Further.

Opening the five-day event, Botswana’s Secretary of Economic and Fiscal Policy  Dr Taufila Nyamadzabo underscored the importance of reviewing the fiscal regime in the extractive sector, noting the increasing contribution of the sector to the economies of many developing countries.

Delegates also discussed designing an appropriate fiscal regime for the extractive industry and putting in a compliance monitoring framework. Those in attendance agreed that international standards were necessary to allow for a more effective exchange of information.

The conference was attended by more than 120 delegates, mainly representing Commonwealth countries and international organisations, including the OECD and Adam Smith International.

At a side event, the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia and the Seychelles Revenue Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will see them work together on tax matters.

Duncan Onduru, the association’s executive director, said that the conference had made for “a very engaging week”.

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