NAMIBIA has been urged to strengthen its tax oversight to curb avoidance particularly by multinational enterprises and boost revenue.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Namibia Alka Bhatia said the initiative would help Namibia improve its tax administration and align with international best practices.
Bhatia made the speech while speaking at the launch of the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) programme in Windhoek.
She added that the initiative would secure sustainable revenue streams for national priorities such as social protection, gender equality, and job creation.
“The financial landscape is undergoing significant shifts, with development finance becoming increasingly constrained.
“It is essential that the country strengthens its capacity to mobilise domestic resources effectively to support its development agenda.’’
Bhatia said that the TIWB programme would 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 Organisation 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.
