By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Aug. 26, GNA – The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) will hold its 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue and 23rd General Assembly in Accra from Sept. 15 to 19, 2026.
The events will also mark 15 years of WATAF’s efforts to strengthen tax administration, regional cooperation and domestic revenue mobilisation across West Africa.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will host the events, which are expected to bring together Finance Ministers, Commissioners-General, Directors-General of tax administrations and other key stakeholders, a statement issued in Accra said.
Development partners, policymakers, regional organisations, academics, private sector representatives and international tax experts are also expected to participate in the week-long gathering.
The events will be held on the theme: “Building Stronger Tax Administrations for Revenue Mobilisation and Sustainable Development.”
The High-Level Policy Dialogue will examine emerging tax policy challenges, innovation and regional cooperation, and seek practical measures to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation and support sustainable development.
The statement said the meeting would take place as governments across West Africa sought sustainable ways to finance development amid economic uncertainty, rapid digital transformation, climate financing demands and evolving international tax reforms.
Participants are expected to share experiences and examine reforms to build more resilient and future-ready tax administrations across the region.
Established in 2011, WATAF has developed into a regional tax administration network focused on peer learning, institutional cooperation and knowledge exchange among member tax administrations.
The Forum said it had trained more than 5,000 tax officials, Commissioners-General, Directors-General and senior tax executives over the past 15 years.
Between 2024 and mid-2026, WATAF delivered 26 regional training programmes that reached nearly 2,000 officials.
In 2025, it trained 907 officials, exceeding its annual target by 58 per cent, while specialised programmes in the first half of 2026 reached 480 officials, including training on the digital economy and the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool.
WATAF said it had also expanded its regional and international partnerships, securing more than eight Memoranda of Understanding and institutional cooperation agreements since 2022, while strengthening collaboration with more than 10 strategic regional and global institutions.
Mr Jules Tapsoba, WATAF Executive Secretary, said the 15-year milestone provided an opportunity to assess the Forum’s achievements and chart a stronger future for regional tax administration cooperation.
He said the training of thousands of tax officials and the growth in institutional partnerships demonstrated the importance of cooperation in helping member countries mobilise domestic
revenue for sustainable development.
Ms Eliane Talato Djiguemde, WATAF Chairperson and Director-General of Taxes of Burkina Faso, said the Dialogue would provide an opportunity to deepen regional cooperation, embrace innovation and accelerate tax administration reforms.
She said WATAF needed to build on its achievements by investing more in the people and institutions driving domestic revenue mobilisation, and invited members and partners to participate in the gathering in Accra.
Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Commissioner-General of the GRA, said Ghana was honoured to host the 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue and 23rd General Assembly.
He said Ghana looked forward to discussions that would promote innovation, strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation and deepen collaboration across West Africa.
The Dialogue will focus on leadership and regional cooperation, digital transformation, environmental fiscal policy, taxpayer compliance, innovation and the future of tax administration.
The General Assembly will enable WATAF’s 15-member tax administrations to review progress, discuss strategic priorities and strengthen institutional cooperation for the years ahead.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku
[email protected]
