The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance is scheduled to host the 2010 31st Annual Technical Conference of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA) from 10th – 16th October, 2010.

Established in 1977 in Barbados following a meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Finance, CATA is an umbrella organization of tax revenue authorities within the Commonwealth. It is currently the world’s largest organization of tax administrators, with 46 member countries, including Nigeria which joined the body in 1978.

The main objective of CATA is to promote exchange of experiences on good practices in tax administration of member countries. This is done through technical conferences, assistance programmes, training programmes and reflections on pertinent questions on tax method and procedure.

The CATA Secretariat hosts an annual Management Committee meeting in London to discuss tax and related issues and evaluate reports submitted by its Regional Directors and Country Representatives. The Association rounds off its activities in a year with an annual conference hosted by a member country.

The Local Organizing Committee headed by Q.S. Seghosime, Director, Tax Audit Processes and Programmes Department, FIRS, was inaugurated in 2009 to coordinate the planning for the conference. Its terms of reference include to plan, organize and deliver a successful CATA 2010 Conference. The Committee is also expected to ensure adequate protocol for delegates; good publicity and awareness for the event; and liaise with CATA Secretariat to ensure a successful hosting, which is expected to help Nigeria showcase its rich cultural heritage during an auspicious period of the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary.

          The following two topics will be discussed at the conference:

•        Taxation of Specialized Sectors; and

•        Exchange of Information – Domestic and International.

The Local Organizing Committee has made substantial progress in preparations for the forthcoming conference. CATA 2010 represents a second opportunity for Nigeria to host the event, having first done so in 1992. The event had exposed the country to the operations of a modern tax administration and opened the way to the automation of the operations and processes of the Service.