WINDHOEK, March 21 — Namibia has been urged to strengthen its tax oversight to curb avoidance, particularly by multinational enterprises, and secure sustainable revenue streams for national priorities such as social protection, gender equality, and job creation. Speaking at the launch of the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) program in Windhoek late Tuesday, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative to Namibia Alka Bhatia said the initiative will help Namibia improve its tax administration and align with international best practices.
“The financial landscape is undergoing significant shifts, with development finance becoming increasingly constrained,” she said. “It is essential that the country strengthens its capacity to mobilize domestic resources effectively to support its development agenda.” Bhatia said that the TIWB program will strengthen tax audits, enhance digital systems, and facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchanges with international revenue authorities. A key focus will be ensuring that tax experts embedded in the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) provide on-the-job training to build long-term institutional capacity, she added. According to Bastia, the TIWB will support Namibia‘s efforts to identify high-risk cases and address tax avoidance arrangements that reduce much-needed revenue.
“The goal is not merely to strengthen NamRA’s tax collection capacity; rather, it is to establish a fair and predictable tax system where businesses contribute their fair share, ultimately enhancing Namibia‘s ability to fund social and economic development,” she said. The TIWB is a joint initiative of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the UNDP supporting 39 jurisdictions across Africa. Its main areas of focus include transfer pricing, international taxation, and criminal tax investigations, with particular emphasis on the extractive industry.
(Xinhua)
