The 52nd East African Revenue Authorities Commissioners General Meeting (EARACGs), held in Nairobi, underscored the region’s commitment to leveraging digital innovations to enhance tax compliance and curb revenue leakages. The event, themed “Enhancing tax compliance through effective community engagement in a digital era,” brought together tax administrators from East African Community (EAC) member states, including new participants from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia.
Speaking during the meeting’s opening, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. CPA Njuguna Ndung’u, emphasized the need for collective efforts to bolster domestic revenue mobilization. “Revenue Administrations in the region must enhance strategies to fight corruption and adequately fund their operations to achieve economic freedom,” said Ndung’u.
The two-day meeting highlighted key resolutions aimed at modernizing tax systems and addressing emerging challenges. Among these was the rationalization of tax exemptions to establish uniform benchmarks across the region. The Commissioners General also emphasized the need to harness artificial intelligence to optimize the use of vast data repositories, describing AI as having “transformative potential” to increase revenue collection and improve decision-making.
Taxing the digital economy emerged as a key priority, with a focus on implementing the digital service tax and aligning taxation frameworks to accommodate the digital ecosystem. Measures to combat smuggling were also stressed, with calls for enhanced enforcement strategies, valuation controls, and improved information-sharing among member states.
The meeting also advocated for the ratification of the East African Community Multilateral Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) to bolster cross-border tax collaborations. “Policy measures, including tax harmonization, must be expedited to facilitate regional trade and streamline tax procedures,” the Commissioners noted.
The regional heads concluded with a commitment to further engage on these resolutions, with Rwanda set to host the next EARACGs meeting in May 2025.
