CHISHALA MUSONDA
Livingstone
ZAMBIA Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Dingani Banda says international cooperation is critical to strengthening tax systems and combating tax evasion and illicit financial flows.
Mr Banda said the authority’s active participation in international processes is essential ahead of next year’s Exchange of Information on Request (EOIR) peer review.
He said Zambia’s engagement in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has strengthened the country’s tax transparency framework and aligned it with international standards.
“Through this process, jurisdictions are able to learn from each other, identify areas for improvement and collectively strengthen the global fight against tax evasion and illicit financial flows,” he said.
Mr Banda, in a speech read on his behalf by ZRA director of tax services Clive Mulendema during the opening of the Global Forum EOIR assessor training, said the peer review process remains central to promoting transparency and effective exchange of tax information among member countries.
He said the process helps jurisdictions strengthen legal frameworks, administrative systems and institutional capacity to ensure timely sharing of tax-related information upon request.
Mr Banda further stressed the importance of maintaining credibility, objectivity and technical rigour in the peer review process, noting that expert assessors play a key role.
He reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to the Global Forum’s work, including nominating experts and participating in capacity-building programmes such as the ongoing training.
“Zambia values the opportunity to bring together experts and officials from across the Global Forum membership.
This gathering reflects the strong spirit of international cooperation that underpins the work of the Global Forum,” he said.
Global Forum tax advisor Alex Nuwagira said 173 jurisdictions are currently collaborating to implement standards that have significantly improved global tax transparency.
He said EOIR peer reviews, launched in 2010, are now in their second round, with enhanced terms of reference, and 132 jurisdictions have already been fully reviewed.
He added that new monitoring and review processes adopted in November 2023 will apply to jurisdictions from 2025 following completion of second round reviews….https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
