The 7th West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) High-Level Policy Dialogue will take place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 15–19 September 2025, uniting leaders from tax administrations, ministries of finance, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations. Under the theme “Financing Development through Effective Tax Systems,” the event will address one of West Africa’s most pressing challenges: mobilizing sufficient domestic resources to fund national priorities and reduce dependency on external aid.
For countries across the region, effective domestic resource mobilization is not only a fiscal necessity – it is the foundation for sustainable development. The revenue collected through fair and efficient tax systems enables governments to invest in healthcare, education, infrastructure, and job creation. Yet persistent challenges remain. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Africa loses an estimated $88.6 billion each year to illicit financial flows, narrowing the resources available for development. A significant portion of economic activity remains informal, while tax administrations continue to face complex compliance processes, capacity constraints, and evolving global tax pressures.
The High-Level Policy Dialogue provides a unique platform for decision-makers to exchange ideas, share experiences, and identify actionable strategies for reform. This year’s discussions will focus on strengthening collaboration between tax administrations and the private sector, creating tax policies that drive sustainable investment, enhancing cooperation with international tax bodies, and ensuring political leadership and institutional commitment to long-term transformation.
Engaging with Tax Leaders
NRD Companies will join the dialogue to engage with tax administrators and other participants on the event’s key themes. The team plans to discuss countries’ e-invoicing journeys, explore challenges and opportunities in modernizing tax systems, and identify ways to contribute expertise and solutions to ongoing reforms.
Also, NRD Companies will present the Virtual Fiscal Device Management System (VFDMS©), a government-owned e-invoicing solution designed to help tax authorities enhance domestic resource mobilization through a modernized digital infrastructure and strengthened compliance. VFDMS© enables real-time transaction monitoring, streamlines VAT reporting, and supports analysis with continuous transactions controls that offer instant, data-driven oversight – while being adaptable to varied regional legal, technical, and economic contexts. Interested delegates will have the opportunity to request a live product demonstration during the event and see how VFDMS© works in action to support more effective tax systems.
Let’s Meet at WATAF 2025
With a proven track record in supporting governments across diverse regions, NRD Companies brings both the technical expertise and strategic insight needed to turn discussions into actionable outcomes. The team looks forward to engaging with tax administrators, policymakers, and development partners to exchange perspectives, explore e-invoicing journeys, and identify practical paths for strengthening domestic resource mobilization.
