East African revenue authorities yesterday begun a landmark five-day meeting in Dar es Salaam to deliberate on critical challenges and reforms needed to strengthen the region’s tax systems and boost domestic revenue mobilisation. Speaking at the opening of the 100th East African Revenue Authorities Technical Committee (EARATC) meeting, committee chairperson Beatus Nchoka underscored the importance of collective action in modernising revenue administrations. “Our goal is to develop actionable recommendations that will make our revenue systems more efficient, transparent and effective, while also facilitating trade across East Africa. Mr Mwenda also raised concerns over smuggling driven by uneven tax rates across borders, declining voluntary compliance and the complexity of existing tax systems. EARATC is a regional platform comprising representatives from the revenue authorities of the East African Community (EAC) member states, which include Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.