The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General Githii Mburu has been appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 15, KRA noted that Mburu would be part of the executive whose mandate is to oversee the implementation of strategies to influence and promote cooperation among tax authorities on various responsibilities.
Some of the functions of the executive include building capacity, enhancing the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI), provision of Exchange of Information on Requests (EOIR) and providing technical assistance to tax administration in the fight against tax evasion.
The Commissioner General is set to serve in the role for a three-year period.
"The Commissioner General was appointed to hold the crucial position during the 15th Global Forum Plenary meeting held last week in Seville, Spain, where he also chaired the 12th Africa Initiative Meeting. He will serve for a period of three years, with effect from January 2023," read part of the notice.
Mburu will serve with other members drawn from various international countries including the Global Forum Chair (France), two other Vice-Chairpersons (Italy, Japan) and other sixteen (16) members.
"His appointment elevates Kenya and Africa’s profile in tax transparency and participation at the Global Forum," the Tax Authority stated.
Mburu's new appointment coincides with his current role as the chairperson of the Africa Initiative- a regional institute established to enhance the potential of tax transparency and exchange of information (EOI) in Africa.
As the chairperson, he is tasked with ensuring that African countries are equipped to explore improvements in global transparency and tackle tax evasion.
In his tenure at Africa Initiative, the institution made great progress towards unpacking the benefits of tax transparency and Exchange of Information (EOI) to fight tax evasion and other Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) in Africa.
The OECD, founded in 1961, is an intergovernmental body with 38 member countries. The organization was established to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
It provides a setting where governments can compare experiences, seek answers to common challenges, identify good practices, and develop high standards for economic policy
