ITIC programs in this region started in Africa began in 2000 with a series of excise taxation studies and in-country workshops in Kenya and Ghana. Since that time, ITIC has worked with over 20 countries throughout Africa.

In 2000, ITIC wanted to “experiment” to see if its excise tax model that was developed in Russia to assist the Ministry of Finance of Russia reform its excise tax regime, could be exported to other countries around the world. In conjunction with several local research institutes, ITIC undertook an excise tax modelling project in Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, and Cote D’Ivoire. The research projects included the development of country-specific excise tax models along with capacity building for the local research institutes. In some cases, the local partners travelled to the U.K. for in-residence training with Oxford Economics, ITIC’s program partner.

Follow-up workshops were held using the ITIC Triangle: Bringing together Ministry of Finance, other key public sectors officials, academic experts, and industry representatives. Similar models of engagement utilizing the two-part model (intellectual production and the selling/marketing of these outputs) have been deployed throughout Africa. We’re happy to report that in a large part, the ITIC policy recommendations on excise reform have been enacted and are part of the current law in Kenya and Ghana.

In 2002, ITIC partnered with the South African Treasury and the Southern Africa Development Committee (SADC) to organize an international conference in Pretoria, Excise Taxes in Southern Africa. This conference was co-chaired by University of Maastricht Professor and ITIC Advisor Sijbren Cnossen and Dr. Martin Grote, head of Tax Policy of the South African Treasury. Representatives from 20 African countries attended. International experts from Europe and the United States also attended. The University of South Africa press published a book on excise taxation following the conference. One of the other legacies of this program has been the development and annual presentation on an excise module as a part of the Africa Tax Institute. Professor Sijbren Cnossen annually presents this module at the Institute.

Plans are underway to institutionalize the ITIC Triangle in Africa with the creation of a bi-annual Africa Tax Forum. Additionally, ITIC will continue its country-specific work. We currently have programs underway in Uganda, Cameroon, South Africa, and we are continuing with our Eat African tax harmonization project.

The results of our studies program, notes of various meetings and important tax policy related documents are available in our program libraries, available to sponsors only.

For more information on becoming an ITIC sponsor, please call our Washington office at (202)530-9799.