WIEGO, the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) are hosting a workshop in Ghana to discuss the future of taxation policy in Africa for the informal economy.
Designed for researchers and other key stakeholders, the workshop will map out promising areas of policy development and best practice, by discussing current research and policy and facilitating learning sessions between revenue authorities.
WIEGO participants will lead a session on how to improve dialogue between revenue authorities and workers in informal employment.
Dr Mike Rogan, a Research Associate with WIEGO’s Urban Policies Programme will be presenting on the state of the research. He says taxing informal economies is one of the key challenges for tax and policymakers in Africa.
“Across a range of country contexts, current methods are often disappointing from a revenue standpoint and can have sensitive equity implications. At the same time, pressures on revenue authorities to collect more taxes from unregistered firms are substantial,” he says.
“We believe now is a critical time to have a new conversation on the topic, bringing together both researchers and key stakeholders for a dedicated retreat. This focused workshop seeks to chart new ways forward in how revenue authorities engage with the informal economy.”
Other WIEGO participants include International Coordinator Laura Alfers, and WIEGO’s Focal City Accra team who will discuss their experiences working with workers in informal employment in Ghana.
The agenda also includes themes such as: experiences with presumptive taxation and registration exercises, opportunities to improve the targeting of policies toward higher income operators and to foster better dialogue with informal sector operators and associations.
The workshop is being held from 18-21 February 2025, at Royal Senchi Hotel in Akosombo, Ghana and is part of WIEGO’s ongoing work to promote fiscal justice for workers in informal employment.