The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and World Bank organize regional seminar on international taxation

A regional seminar on international taxation was held in Accra, Ghana, from September 22nd to 26th 2025, jointly organized by the World Bank’s EMFTX team and the ECOWAS Commission, with support from regional and international partners.

The seminar brought together over 30 participants from ECOWAS Member States and observer countries, including Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Mauritania. Senior officials from Ministries of Finance and Tax Administrations convened to exchange experiences and deepen their understanding of emerging issues in international taxation.

Over the course of 18 sessions, discussions covered a wide range of topics such as the ECOWAS Supplementary Acts on the Elimination of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, implementation of the Global Minimum Tax (GMT), reform of tax incentives, anti-BEPS measures, transfer pricing, natural resource taxation, and VAT on digital transactions. Participants shared country experiences, highlighting varying levels of progress in adopting international tax standards, while some countries are conducting impact assessments and legislative reviews, others are still in the early stages of implementation.

The seminar highlighted the importance of aligning national tax systems with evolving global norms and strengthening regional cooperation to harmonize policies, enhance compliance and improve revenue collection. Participants emphasized the need for continued technical assistance and capacity building to support domestic policy reforms.

The seminar concluded with a strong call for sustained collaboration among ECOWAS Member States, development partners, and international organizations to strengthen tax systems and promote fair and efficient taxation across the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).