Legacy of Leadership: Logan Wort's Final Call for a Digitally Transformed Africa
As he prepares to pass the baton, Wort leaves behind a legacy of strong leadership and a clear roadmap for Africa's tax future.
KIGALI, Rwanda— As the curtain falls on a 15-year tenure, Logan Wort, the outgoing Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), delivered a powerful message at the ATAF Annual Meeting 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda, writes Winston Mwale.
Standing before a continent grappling with significant financial hurdles, Wort championed a vision of a digitally empowered Africa, capable of funding its development aspirations.
Wort, who has overseen ATAF's evolution from a fledgling concept to a continental powerhouse in tax administration, used his final platform to stress the urgency of bridging the financing gap that separates Africa from achieving the ambitious goals outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the African Agenda 2063.
This gap, a staggering USD 4.0 trillion annually for developing countries globally and $402.2 billion specifically for African nations, poses a formidable challenge.
The crux of Wort's message lay in the transformative potential of technology, particularly in modernising tax administrations across the continent.
He painted a picture of a future where digital solutions are not just tools for efficiency but catalysts for greater transparency, fairness, and ultimately, enhanced domestic resource mobilisation (DRM).
This message resonated strongly, especially as Wort showcased concrete examples of successful technology adoption within the ATAF family.
The Rwanda Revenue Authority, host of the 2024 AGM, has witnessed a dramatic surge in VAT and income tax collections, a 51.6% and 94.3% increase respectively, thanks to the implementation of an electronic invoicing system.
South Africa's Revenue Service (SARS), another beacon of digital transformation, has reaped the rewards of technology through greater efficiency, boosted revenue collection, the development of auto-populated personal tax returns, and more sophisticated risk assessment frameworks.
Wort's advocacy for a digital revolution in African tax administration extended beyond revenue generation.
He emphasised that technology can play a pivotal role in expanding the tax base, particularly by enabling more effective taxation of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and participants in the informal sector, both areas often challenging to capture through traditional methods.
Recognising that a digitally driven future requires robust collaboration, Wort also made a compelling case for strengthening exchange of information (EOI) mechanisms and promoting tax transparency.
He highlighted ATAF's commitment to supporting its members in this transition, pointing to technical assistance programs, legislative reform support, and the development of essential tools like the Toolkit on Joining ATAF Agreement on Mutual Assistance in Tax Matters (AMATM).
Wort's concluding remarks underscored the need for a concerted effort to address the imbalance in the allocation of taxing rights, an issue that currently disadvantages developing countries.
He expressed support for the United Nations initiative to develop a Framework Convention for International Tax Cooperation, a move aimed at fostering greater inclusivity and effectiveness in global tax cooperation, an area where ATAF has been actively engaged alongside the African Union Commission and the African Group.
As he prepares to pass the baton, Wort leaves behind a legacy of strong leadership and a clear roadmap for Africa's tax future.
His parting message serves as a powerful reminder that the continent's ability to control its destiny, finance its development goals and shape its future, hinges on embracing the transformative power of technology and forging strong partnerships both within Africa and on the global stage.