The Regional Steering Committee for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Tax Transition Programme was officially inaugurated from February 24 to 26, 2026, in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. This inaugural meeting brought together representatives of member states, tax policy experts, and officials from the ECOWAS Commission, marking a decisive step in the implementation of Directive C/DIR.5/07/23, which establishes the regional institutional framework dedicated to monitoring and evaluating the tax transition within ECOWAS member states.
In his welcoming remarks delivered on behalf of His Excellency Dr. Kalilou Sylla, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, the Acting Director of the Customs and Tax Union, Mr. Darlingston Talery, emphasized the importance of the Steering Committee as a key mechanism for strengthening regional cooperation and promoting the harmonization of tax systems throughout the region. He stressed that the establishment of this Committee represents a significant step towards better mobilization of national resources and deeper regional economic integration.
In the same vein, delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, Mr. Salisu Amara conveyed greetings from His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of ECOWAS. He highlighted the importance of the meeting as a platform for monitoring and evaluating national tax transition efforts and encouraged Member States that have not yet established their National Tax Transition Steering Committees to do so. He further informed participants that Sierra Leone had recently established its National Tax Transition Committee, reaffirming the country’s commitment to advancing the ECOWAS fiscal transition agenda.
In his opening remarks, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Benin, Mr. Alban Bessan Bienvenu, officially welcomed delegates to Cotonou and expressed appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission for entrusting Benin with hosting the inaugural meeting. He emphasized that the creation of the Steering Committee reflected the shared commitment of Member States to strengthen fiscal governance, promote sustainable domestic resource mobilisation, and support regional integration. He further noted that efficient and modern tax systems were essential for financing development and strengthening economic resilience in the region.
On the margins of the meeting, the ECOWAS delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Director General of Tax Administration in Benin, Mr. Benito Sherif GBOSSANE. The visit provided an opportunity to follow up on the implementation of ECOWAS regional fiscal directives and to discuss the level of implementation of these directives at the national level. Discussions also focused on strengthening collaboration between the ECOWAS Commission and national authorities to ensure effective domestication and monitoring of regional fiscal reforms.
The Steering Committee is mandated to coordinate key stakeholders, review program reports, provide technical support to Member States, and validate national fiscal transition plans. Through these functions, the Committee will play a central role in ensuring coherence and effectiveness in the implementation of ECOWAS fiscal objectives.
The meeting, which ran from 24 to 26 February 2026, is expected to lay a solid foundation for the effective functioning of the Regional Steering Committee and to strengthen collaboration among Member States in advancing fiscal reforms across the ECOWAS region.
The ECOWAS Commission reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Member States in implementing the Tax Transition Program and promoting sustainable and harmonised tax systems throughout the region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
