By Daniel Bampoe
Ghana is set to become the centre of a major regional conversation on taxation and domestic revenue mobilisation when the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) convenes its 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) and 23rd General Assembly in Accra from September 15 to 19, 2026.
The high-level gathering, to be hosted by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), will also mark the 15th anniversary of WATAF, providing an opportunity for tax administrators and policymakers across the region to assess the progress made in strengthening tax systems and determine how West Africa can build more resilient revenue institutions for the future.
The five-day programme comes at a critical period for governments across West Africa, many of which are under growing pressure to raise sufficient domestic resources to finance development while confronting economic uncertainty, rapid digitalisation, climate-financing requirements and changes in the international tax environment.
Against this backdrop, the forum is expected to move beyond conventional discussions on taxation and focus on practical measures that can help countries improve revenue collection, modernise tax administration and make their revenue systems more responsive to emerging economic realities.
The 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue will be held under the theme, “Building Stronger Tax Administrations for Revenue Mobilisation and Sustainable Development.” The theme places the strength of tax institutions at the centre of the region’s development agenda, with discussions expected to examine emerging policy challenges, innovation, regional cooperation and strategies for increasing domestic revenue in a sustainable manner.
The Accra meeting is expected to attract Finance Ministers, Commissioners-General and Directors-General of tax administrations, development partners, policymakers, regional organisations, academics, private-sector representatives and international tax experts. Their participation is intended to create a broad platform for exchanging experiences and identifying approaches that can be adapted by tax administrations across West Africa.
The significance of this year’s gathering is heightened by WATAF’s 15-year history. Established in 2011, the Forum has grown into a major regional network for tax administrations, with its work centred on peer learning, institutional cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity development among member countries.
Over the past decade and a half, WATAF says it has trained more than 5,000 tax officials, Commissioners-General, Directors-General and senior tax executives across the region.
Recent figures contained in the WATAF release indicate that the organisation’s capacity-building activities have intensified. Between 2024 and the middle of 2026, the Forum delivered 26 regional training programmes that reached nearly 2,000 tax officials. In 2025 alone, 907 officials were trained, a figure the Forum says exceeded its annual target by 58 percent. During the first half of 2026, specialised programmes reached another 480 officials, including participants who received training in areas such as the digital economy and the internationally recognised Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool, known as TADAT.
WATAF’s regional role has also expanded beyond training. Since 2022, the Forum says it has strengthened cooperation with more than ten strategic regional and global institutions, secured more than eight memoranda of understanding and institutional cooperation agreements, and developed technical partnerships supporting tax reforms, digital transformation, regional integration and domestic revenue mobilisation.
The Forum currently works with a wide network of regional and international institutions, including ECOWAS, UEMOA, the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Tax Administration Forum, CIAT, the World Bank, UN DESA, the African Capacity Building Foundation and the Islamic Development Bank. According to WATAF, these relationships are intended not only to strengthen tax systems within West Africa but also to give the region a stronger voice in international tax policy discussions.
WATAF Executive Secretary Jules Tapsoba said the 15th anniversary should serve as both a moment of reflection and a starting point for the Forum’s next phase. He pointed to the thousands of officials trained, expanding partnerships and growing institutional influence as evidence of the organisation’s progress, while stressing that the next 15 years should build on those achievements to further assist member states in mobilising the domestic revenues required for sustainable development.
WATAF Chairperson and Director General of Taxes of Burkina Faso, Eliane Talato DJIGUEMDE, similarly described the Accra dialogue as an opportunity to deepen cooperation and accelerate reforms. She said the Forum’s progress demonstrated what could be achieved when tax administrations worked together and called for stronger regional collaboration, greater innovation and increased investment in the people and institutions responsible for domestic revenue mobilisation.
For Ghana, the decision to host the two flagship WATAF events comes with an opportunity to showcase its own role in regional tax cooperation. The Ghana Revenue Authority, which is hosting the gathering, said it was honoured to welcome delegates from Africa and beyond for one of the region’s major tax policy meetings. GRA Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong said the coincidence between Ghana’s hosting responsibilities and WATAF’s 15th anniversary reflected the country’s longstanding commitment to regional cooperation and stronger tax systems.
The policy discussions in Accra are expected to cover a broad range of issues affecting the future of taxation in West Africa. These include leadership and regional cooperation, digital transformation, domestic revenue mobilisation, environmental fiscal policy, innovation, taxpayer compliance and the future direction of tax administration. The organisers expect the discussions to produce practical policy recommendations aimed at improving tax administration and increasing domestic revenue mobilisation across the region.
Alongside the High-Level Policy Dialogue, WATAF’s 23rd General Assembly will bring together the Forum’s 15-member tax administrations to review its performance, consider strategic priorities and strengthen institutional cooperation for the years ahead.
