Day 3 Highlights: CATA Heads Meeting Port Moresby, 10 July 2025

Day 3 of the CATA Annual Heads Meeting and Technical Conference brought leaders together to discuss the principles for agile leadership in tax administration. In an inspiring discussion, Commissioners set the scene for a day of conversation on responsive and dynamic leadership across revenue authorities.

Panel: Strengthening Agile Leadership in Tax Administration

With moderator Mr Mahmad Noor Oozeer, Acting Director General, Mauritius Revenue Authority and CATA Chairman, Commissioners from Malawi, Belize and Barbados shared their experiences, including:

• What agility means in the context of tax leadership, and how it can be implemented in reality.

• Leadership approaches that have proven effective in driving reform, and cultures that support innovation and adaptability.

• Challenges and opportunities for leadership, and what tools can be used to enhance agility.

• The most critical leadership capabilities for the next 5-10 years.

The discussion highlighted the diversity of leadership approaches across the CATA membership and set ambitions for more responsive and agile management at the top of tax administrations. With the strategic priority “Excellence in Leadership” for its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, CATA will be intensifying its support for senior managers and Commissioners in its member administrations.

Morning Workshop: Building Organisational Agility

Following the panel, participants in the Heads of Administration track participated in an interactive discussion focusing on building organisational agility. Again moderated by Mr Mahmad Noor Oozeer, leaders shared their experiences and strategies for adapting global trends in leadership to their own contexts.

Crucially, it was clear that despite many interpretations of agile leadership, there are core principles that can be applied to all tax administration, namely responsive leadership and openness to innovation.

This final discussion set the scene for CATA’s new work programme, launched in July, which will continue to explore the question of agile and forward-thinking leadership.