Commissioners Connect - 23 April 2025: Digital Transformation of Tax Administration

The Commissioners Connect online session held on 23 April 2025, moderated by the Commissioner General of IRC Papua New Guinea, Mr Sam Koim, brought together Commissioners General from Barbados, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritius, New Zealand, Seychelles, and Tanzania, along with a Board member from CBDT India. This session marked the 4th Commissioners Connect since its launch on 22 July 2024. The programme, held quarterly, includes one in-person session during the CATA Conference and three online sessions. It has become a valuable platform for Commissioners General to connect, share experiences, discuss challenges, and offer support to each other in the field of tax administration.

The session focused on sharing experiences and insights related to digital transformation in tax administration. Commissioners shared their experiences with digital transformation, emphasising the positive impact on efficiency and transparency in tax administration. Key drivers for initiating these changes included the need for improved service delivery, enhanced compliance, and the desire to leverage technology for better data management.

Commissioners also discussed various challenges faced during the digital transformation process, such as resistance to change, technical issues, and budget constraints. Commissioners shared strategies to overcome these hurdles, including robust change management plans, stakeholder engagement, and phased implementation.

The importance of careful planning and the use of right solutions to ensure seamless integration of new digital systems with existing legacy systems was underscored. Effective change management was crucial for the transition, with training programmes tailored to different staff levels proving most effective. Insights on handling resistance to change included transparent communication, involving staff in the transformation process, and providing continuous support.

Commissioners acknowledged that while the financial implications of digital transformation projects were significant, the long-term cost savings and efficiency gains are good returns on investments.

The discussion concluded with a focus on future trends in digital transformation, such as the adoption of artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and advanced data analytics. Commissioners expressed optimism about the continued evolution of tax administration systems to meet future challenges. With ongoing digital developments, Commissioners recognised the importance of discussing what the role of tax officers should look like in the future.

It was noted that tax administrations were at different stages of digital transformation, providing a rich diversity of experiences and insights. The discussion today was valuable and has sparked interest among some Commissioners to have bilateral meetings with each other to learn more about the systems introduced in their administrations.