The role of taxation in good governance will top agenda at the forthcoming second international tax conference of the West African Union of Tax Institutes (WAUTI) holding next week in Lagos. Other issues the conference will address are – Prospects and challenges of harmonisation of tax systems in the ECOWAS region, and Voluntary tax compliance: A key to sustainable good governance.
The confab will have in attendance Desire Ouedraogo, president of ECOWAS, who will be declaring the conference open, while Babatunde Fashola, Lagos Sate governor, will declare the conference proceedings closed. Facilitators at the conference are drawn from both the private and public sector in West Africa. According to WAUTI, confirmation of attendance has been received from delegates in nine countries in West Africa namely – Ghana, Liberia, Cote d’lvoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, and Benin.
The lead paper will be delivered by Jiri Nekovar, president, Confederation Fiscale Europeenne (CFE), a body of tax advisers in Europe. Other speakers include Salifou Tiemtore, director, Customs of the Economic Community of West Africa States, and a foremost tax practitioner in Dakar, Senegal, Aziz Dieye of Cabinet Aziz Diey.
Also to attend are Ahmed Makarfi, chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, and Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, chief responsibility officer of ReStraL Ltd, among others.
Others are representatives of notable heads of organisations like George Blankson, commissioner general of the Ghana Revenue Authority; Kabir Mashi, acting chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria, and Goodie Ibru, president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
