Meeting wraps up successful Train the Trainer pilot programme

 

20/12/2021 - The Global Forum Secretariat held the final meeting of its 2021 Train the Trainer pilot programme on 16-17 December 2021. Launched under the umbrella of the Africa Initiative in April 2021, the pilot programme attracted 34 participants from 17 African countries and has proved very successful. Collectively, the trainers have already delivered 24 local trainings between July and December 2021, attended by 861 officials from 12 African tax administrations.

Having previously taken mandatory e-learning modules and a one-week initial training, participants adapted the training materials prepared by the Secretariat to the specific context of their country and developed strategies to share the acquired knowledge and skills within their administrations. The sessions provided trainers with further guidance on key concepts and soft skills, and allowed them to test and enhance their ability to deliver high-quality trainings.

Designed to assist participating jurisdictions in providing local training to tax auditors and investigators, the Train the Trainer programme aims at raising awareness on cross-border administrative assistance in tax matters, in particular the exchange of information on request, and building administrations’ capacity to use these instruments effectively in their day-to-day work. 

With additional local trainings planned, trainers are committed to continue to share their experience and collaborate through a network of trainers on exchange of information on request. The Global Forum Secretariat will facilitate this network by setting up a dedicated online platform.

The Train the Trainer programme will help African countries take greater advantage of the vast potential of information exchange to improve tax compliance and increase tax revenues. Many countries are already on the right track, as highlighted in the recently published Tax Transparency in Africa 2021 report. With the positive outcomes of the pilot, the Global Forum Secretariat will launch new Train the Trainer programmes in other regions in 2022.

For further information on the Train the Trainer programme, please contact gftaxcooperation@oecd.org.