The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) warmly congratulates its board member Mary Baine for commencing her term as Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) on 1st July.
Baine, a member of ICTD’s Centre Advisory Group, formerly served as ATAF’s Deputy Executive Secretary, where she led the organisation’s strategic planning, international cooperation, and African multilateral initiatives. Prior to joining ATAF, she held senior roles in the government of Rwanda, including that of Commissioner General of the Rwanda Revenue Authority and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As Executive Secretary, Baine will lead ATAF’s mission to deliver “expert technical assistance, capacity-building programmes, and policy support to its 44 member countries,” it said in a statement. “Her vision emphasises scaling up impact, amplifying Africa’s voice in international tax debates, and ensuring that tax systems support both equity and development,” it read.
For her part, Baine said she “look[s] forward to deepening our partnerships, driving meaningful reforms, and working with [ATAF] members to elevate Africa’s tax agenda on the global stage,” noting their shared mission to “build stronger, fairer tax systems that fund Africa’s development.”
ATAF is a longstanding partner of ICTD. Responding to the appointment, the Centre’s Executive Director, Giulia Mascagni, said: “I am delighted to see Mary Baine step into the Executive Secretary’s role at ATAF. Her deep expertise and longstanding commitment to strengthening African tax systems make her exceptionally well suited for this important leadership position.”
“Mary’s remarkable experience and outstanding dedication will be an invaluable asset to ATAF and the field of tax more generally. At ICTD, we all look forward to continuing our collaboration with ATAF under her skilful leadership, to advance equitable and effective tax policy across the continent,” she added.
Baine takes over from Logan Wort, who was ATAF Executive Secretary from its establishment in 2009. Her work, previously as director of the of the network’s Tax Programmes, included the supervision of multiple technical assistance engagements, including value-added tax (VAT) as a flagship tax and Multiple Country Programmes featuring Transfer Pricing and Exchange of Information interventions in ATAF’s Technical Assistance programme.