Cabinet approves signing of ToR to provide tax assistance to Eswatini

The Cabinet Thursday approved signing of the terms of reference (ToR) for providing tax assistance by Indian experts to African nation Eswatini.

The ToR will formalise the engagement of the designated Indian experts to provide tax assistance to Swaziland (now Eswatini) under the tax inspectors without borders (TIWB) programme between India and Eswatini, an official statement said.

An Indian expert has been mutually selected by the Government of India and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini under the TiWB programme.

"The engagement of the Indian expert under the TiWB programme will give impetus to India's support in capacity building in tax matters in developing countries," the statement said.

The ToR will formalise the conditions of the engagement of the expert to provide tax assistance.

The TIWB programme, which is jointly launched by UNDP and OECD, is intended to support developing countries to strengthen national tax administrations through building audit capacity and to share this knowledge with other countries.

It also aims to strengthen tax administrations of developing countries by transferring technical know-how and skills to their tax auditors, and through the sharing of general audit practices and dissemination of knowledge products with them.

The programme complements the efforts of the international community to strengthen cooperation on tax matters and contribute to domestic tax mobilisation efforts of developing countries. India has been supportive in capacity building in tax matters in developing countries, the statement said.