The Role of Transparent and Fair Taxation in Converting Africa’s Mineral Wealth into Development
Article for Proparco, Groupe Agence Francaise de Developpement (January 2011)
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The mining industry does not contribute enough to Africa ’s development – when it does not make local populations poorer and destroy the environment. Its fiscal regime needs to be overhauled, with a greater share of revenues transferred to governments. Fiscal transparency must also be made mandatory; the sums paid by mining companies, the revenues received by governments and the expenditure made must be published. Finally, international standards, backed up by local legal tools, could revolutionize the sector tax system.