The ICTD is very pleased to announce that Dr Waziona Ligomeka has been appointed to the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters for the 2021-2025 term. The committee fosters international cooperation on domestic and international tax matters, working closely with observers from government, civil society, business and academia, to develop guidance and encourage an inclusive setting of norms and policies.
Dr Ligomeka, formerly the Director of Policy, Planning and Research at the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), successfully completed his PhD at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in 2019 under the supervision of former ICTD CEO Professor Mick Moore and ICTD Research Director Giulia Mascagni.
According to Dr Ligomeka, he is deeply honoured to be appointed as a member of the UN committee.
“I am very grateful to be entrusted with this great responsibility by my country and am looking forward to putting my tax knowledge and experience to work on this committee for the benefit of my country and the region. It is a great honour and opportunity to serve my country,” he said.
Dr Ligomeka cites both IDS and the ICTD for providing him with the knowledge, opportunities and support which have equipped him for this new undertaking.
“I would be remiss in not acknowledging the relentless efforts of my colleagues at the Ministry of Finance and the Malawi Revenue Authority and my professors Mick Moore and Giulia Mascagni in shaping me into the well-rounded tax person that I am today,” he said.
Professor Moore said “it was a great pleasure to supervise Wazi’s doctoral research. He adopted a very pragmatic approach in trying to find out how tax collection in Malawi works in practice. I am sure that same pragmatism will enrich the work of the UN Tax Committee.”
Dr. Ligomeka’s thesis analysed the factors that influence tax compliance in developing countries with a particular focus on Malawi. See his paper on the subject, “Assessing the Performance of African Tax Administrations: A Malawian Puzzle.”
Dr. Ligomeka previously worked as a Special Assistant to the Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Economist at the Malawi Ministry of Finance for over 12 years. During that time, he led a number of studies on taxation, including a review of taxation of the gaming industry, the costs and benefits of tax incentives, and an evaluation of Malawi’s tax refund scheme.
During his time at the ICTD, Dr. Ligomeka contributed to our research on Gender and Tax and Tax Administration and Compliance. Click below to read his publications:
This news story was originally published on the ICTD website.
