Amidst the repeated waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple lockdowns, governments in sub-Saharan Africa locked out of the much-needed sources of revenue due to both the freeze in economic activity as well as tax forbearance measures implemented to help businesses survive.
Many of the revenue mobilization challenges facing countries before the pandemic remain unresolved. Going forward, as the pandemic comes under control, governments face an even more urgent need to renew domestic revenue mobilization efforts, including diversifying and broadening tax bases and strengthening revenue collection infrastructures. Digital solutions also present important opportunities to open up new or underutilized sources of taxation.