By Our Correspondent, Pretoria
The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reaffirming their joint commitment to building more equitable and effective tax systems across Africa.
The renewed agreement, signed on September 23, 2025, extends a long-standing partnership that has seen the two institutions collaborate under the Addis Tax Initiative.
Past efforts have focused on strengthening transparency and accountability in tax expenditures through regional cohorts in East and West Africa, as well as advancing African tax scholarship through ATAF’s African Tax Research Network (ATRN), where UNU-WIDER has been a key supporter.
The new MoU expands cooperation to include data-driven research and analytics, joint policy briefs on emerging tax issues, contributions to the African Tax Outlook, and the co-development of training modules on tax gap estimation and compliance management.
It also places greater emphasis on ensuring that research and knowledge products directly inform policy decisions across the continent.
ATAF Executive Secretary, Ms Mary Baine, described the renewed partnership as a milestone.
“By renewing this MoU, ATAF and UNU-WIDER are not only continuing a strong partnership, but also charting a new phase of collaboration that is data-driven, research-focused, and policy-relevant. Together, we can provide African tax administrations with practical tools and knowledge that support domestic resource mobilisation and amplify Africa’s voice in global tax policy debates,” she said.
UNU-WIDER Director, Prof. Kunal Sen, underscored the value of the collaboration.
“This partnership connects UNU-WIDER’s global research expertise with ATAF’s practitioner knowledge and reach across its member states. By working together, we can help ensure that evidence-based insights translate into better tax policy and administration, contributing to fairer and more sustainable financing for development in Africa,” he said.
The collaboration will also support broader initiatives, including the Africa–Finland Partnership, where both institutions are key actors, and strengthen engagement with international and regional partners.
The MoU will run until 2028, providing a framework for sustained cooperation linking high-quality research with policy application and capacity development to advance Africa’s tax agenda.
