CATA NORTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL EXPERIENCE SHARING PROGRAM ON ACCELERATING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

The digital economy is fundamentally reshaping how value is created, distributed, and taxed. Tax authorities must embark on digital transformation because it is no longer optional, it is essential for effective, fair and sustainable revenue administration. Key reasons include:

1. Improved Revenue Mobilization
   Digital systems reduce leakages, minimize tax evasion and expand the tax base through better data capture, analytics and compliance monitoring.

2. Enhanced Taxpayer Compliance and Trust
   Online filing, e-payments, and automated services make tax processes simpler, faster, and more transparent, improving voluntary compliance and public confidence.

3. Operational Efficiency and Cost Reduction
   Automation reduces manual processes, errors and administrative costs, allowing tax officials to focus on high-value tasks such as audits and risk management.

4. Data-Driven Decision Making
   Digital platforms enable real-time access to accurate data, supporting risk-based audits, policy evaluation and informed strategic planning.

Global estimates indicate that developing economies lose between 6% and 13% of their potential corporate tax revenue due to digital economy gaps, largely driven by the slow pace of digital transformation within their tax administrations. For West African nations with narrow tax bases and high informality, this leakage is unsustainable.

CATA is convening this webinar to enable its member countries in Northern Africa to share experiences from their digital transformation journeys, bridge knowledge gaps, demonstrate practical tools and build a regional community of practice led by CATA to support sustainable digital tax transformation.

WEBINAR OBJECTIVES

Overall Objective

To support tax administrations in the subregion’s digital transformation efforts and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and collaborative networks needed to effectively leverage emerging technologies for revenue mobilization.

Specific Objectives

1. Knowledge enhancement: Understand global best practices in digital economy taxation (DST, SEP, VAT on digital services, crypto frameworks)

2. Regional Collaboration: Establish peer networks and knowledge-sharing mechanisms for sustained learning by CATA

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

By the end of this webinar, participants will have:

• Improved understanding of digital transformation concepts and their relevance to modern tax administration.

• Enhanced knowledge of emerging technologies (e.g. data analytics, AI, e-filing platforms) and how they can support revenue mobilization.

• Increased awareness of best practices and regional experiences in digital transformation across the subregion.

• Strengthened institutional capacity to plan, implement, and manage digital transformation initiatives.

• Improved collaboration and knowledge-sharing among participating tax administrations and stakeholders.

• Identification of key challenges, risks, and mitigation strategies associated with digital transformation.

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Registration Requirements (Important)

Step 1: Nomination of Officers

Country Correspondents (CCs) are requested to first update the CATA Secretariat with the details of their nominated officers for this webinar.

Step 2: Online Registration

• CCs should share the webinar details and online registration form link with their nominated officers.

• Nominated officers must submit their details via the online registration form link.

Step 3: Meeting Link

• Upon receipt of completed registrations, the CATA Secretariat will share the meeting link directly with registered nominated officers/participants.

• Participants are advised to create a calendar reminder according to their local time zone to avoid missing the session.

Registration Deadline🛑 All registrations must be submitted by the end of Wednesday, 11 February 2026. Registrations received after this deadline cannot be accommodated, and last-minute requests will not be accepted. We kindly request all Country Correspondents to cooperate fully and ensure that these instructions are clearly communicated to their relevant officers to facilitate a smooth and timely registration process.