Communication personnel have the responsibility to liaise between tax administrations and taxpayers to communicate and improve the tax payment process. As link between tax administrations, the media and the citizens, the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) on August 30, 2021, engaged tax administrations communication personnel among ATAF member states to share experiences and strategies in order to improve tax communication whilst projecting the Forum’s image.

The ATAF Executive Secretary, Mr Logan Wort, emphasized the important role played by communications units within the administrations and encouraged them to formulate strategies that simplify tax information while making it increasingly convenient for taxpayers to comply with national tax laws.

“Your job as communications persons is to make citizens want to pay taxes and make them understand the need to pay taxes by educating them on how and why they should do so”, he said.

The half-day workshops shared communication experiences from different countries and mapped how ATAF can use these publicity opportunities to deliver important tax information whilst improving its image and the image of the local administrations.

With modernity and consequently the new normal, communication is fast fusing or even migrating from traditional media such as television and radio to instant and more effective social media platforms.

The African Tax Administration Forum offers technical assistance and capacity development to tax administrations, ZIMRA included with the objective of increasing domestic resource mobilization and improve development in Africa whilst supporting the continent’s voice in the international tax environment.