ECOWAS Establishes Regional Monitoring, Evaluation Framework for Tax Transition

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.