Fiscal discipline in Antigua and Barbuda stands to be enhanced following the signing of a Technical Assistance Contract on April 1st, 2019 between the European Union and WYG International totalling 2.32 million Euro.
“This Project will provide support to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to enhance domestic revenue mobilisation and administration, in line with the EU’s “Collect More – Spend Better” message and with EU’s flagship Domestic Revenue Mobilisation Initiative that is to assist countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and in strengthening the social contract with their citizens ” said EU Ambassador Daniela Tramacere.
The overall objective of the project is to assist the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in its efforts to improve fiscal discipline by enhancing the transparency and efficiency of tax administration. This project will build on the progress achieved and lessons learnt under the previous Public Financial Management (PFM) and Revenue Reform Project, and will pursue the revenue reform objectives outlined in Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing PFM Reform Action Plan and Medium Term Development Strategy (MTDS).
The specific objective of this contract is to improve the availability of tax information and increase the efficiency of operations of the Inland Revenue Department. This EU assistance will focus first on consolidating recent reforms, and then seek to contribute to the necessary upgrades to hardware, software and work processes, and requisite training to ensure the proper functioning of Government PFM and revenue administration systems. It will also contribute to building the foundations for gender-responsive budgeting and for the integration of a gender perspective into sectoral strategies.
The project’s activities largely involve the production and introduction of concrete technical products, such as legal and regulatory reviews, assessments, guidelines, and software improvements. Gender perspectives will be integrated into all the above-mentioned activities to the extent possible, so as to raise awareness and capacity for gender analysis among key stakeholders. The EU will continue policy dialogue with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda including on tax policy issues to promote adherence to international standards.
