Esteemed CATA Members,

I am deeply honoured to serve as CATA President for a second time. Let me start by wishing you a very happy and successful New Year marked by good health and humour as well as by some inspirational ideas.

At this time of the year with the festive season and 2019 drawing to a close, I would like to thank all members of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administration for their continuous support and contribution in making this year yet another fruitful one for CATA. Allow me to express my utmost gratitude to the members of CATA for their commitment to stand together, support and build each other while harnessing our own individual strengths to face the challenges ahead

There are many people to thank for their assistance over the years, but I would be remiss if I did not specifically thank Malaysia for being such a generous host at our 40th Technical Conference held this year in Penang from 11 to 14 November. With the theme ‘Addressing the Shadow Economy and Digitalisation in Securing Revenue for Sustainable Development’, this year’s conference provided a platform for tax
administrators to forge new ties and strengthen existing relationships through collaborations, discussions as well as exchange of information and research findings.

Throughout the year, CATA continued to cement its international relationships by its association with other regional/international tax organisations such as the Pacific Island Tax Administrators Association (PITAA), the Network of Tax Organisations (NTO), COTA (The Caribbean Organisation of Tax Administrators) and
ATAF (The African Tax Administration Forum). Through our collaboration with the Caribbean Organization of Tax Administrators (COTA), many members in the region are now engaging more actively in CATA events - a very positive development.

Today’s tax authorities face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Good leadership is essential to delivering results whilst securing transformational change. The Senior Leadership Programme (SLP) scheduled in 2020 would provide a unique opportunity for senior leaders to reflect on their leadership style and build the skills needed to navigate their organisations through this dynamic landscape.

We look forward to the year 2020 with new heights, new achievements, new experiences and new acquaintances. With the usual support of all staff members and all the contribution of each Member State, I strongly believe that CATA will attain its goals for the coming year.

May our shared efforts, commitment and cooperation bear their fruit, as we step into 2020 with renewed vigour. To conclude I would like once again to wish you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness and prosperity. Last but not least, I also particularly want to say a big thank you to Duncan Onduru and Megan Jones for their hard work and dedication.

Best regards,

Sudhamo Lal
Director General, Mauritius Revenue Authority