Presentation by Girma Gebretsadik at the second annual meeting of the Ethiopian Tax Research Network, which took place in Addis Ababa on 8th October 2018.

1. Second Meeting of the ETRN
Overview of the ETRN First Year’s Activities
Girma G/Tsadik, ETRN Executive Secretary
8th October 2018, Capital Hotel, Addis Ababa
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2. 1. ETRN in Brief
 Initiative of the ICTD
 Funded by Gates Foundation
 Launched on 20 September 2017
 Goal: support the generation and exchange of tax knowledge in
Ethiopia
 Stakeholders: tax practitioners and researchers from Ethiopian and
International organizations
 Membership is informal (no formal registration procedure)
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3. 2. ETRN Activities
 Governance structure in place (Management Committee)
 MC : consultative body (ensures the independence, relevance and
quality of work by the ETRN.)
 MC members:
 Representatives of: MoFEC, ERCA, AAU, ECSU, and EDRI. Chairperson
nominated by the MC
 Research Director of the ETRN (Research Director at the ICTD)
 Executive Secretary nominated by the MC
 ToR for the MC endorsed by the MC
 Three MC meetings conducted.
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4. 2. ETRN Activities…Cont’d
 Research Support
 Call for proposals in October 2017
 Research Guideline of the ICTD submitted to researchers
 Proposal selection criteria (policy relevance, academic quality,
feasibility, and value for money) prepared and approved.
 34 proposals received and screened
 6 revised proposals approved
 Contract signed with researchers
 Some draft research reports under review.
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5. ETRN Activities…Cont’d
 Research projects conducted:
S.N. Research Topic Researcher (s)
1 Turnover Based Presumptive Taxation and Taxpayers
Perception in Ethiopia
Ato Abis Getachew, EDRI
2 An Assessment of ERCA’s Taxpayer Education
Programs and How They Can be Improved
Dr. Azime A. Hassen, ECSU
3 Where the Gap Lay: Presumptive Income Tax
Assessment for Micro and Small Enterprises, a Case
Study of the Addis Ababa City Administration
Ato Amanuel Mekonnen and Ato
Endalkachew Mulugeta, AAU
4 Ethiopia’s Double Taxation Avoidance Treaties: A
Quest for Policy Guide
Ato Tesfay Assefa, MU
5 Perceptions of Value Added Tax Compliance in
Ethiopia: Filing and Invoicing
Ato Gebregziabher G. Tsadik, Ato Assefa
Gezae, Ato Worku Tamire, ERCA
6 Practices, Challenges and Prospects of Public Sector
Taxation in Ethiopia
Ato Sebsbie Fekade and W/ Asnakech
Lake, ERCA, and Mr. Ronald Waisa, URA
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6. ETRN Activities…Cont’d
 Capacity Building
 MC members with academic/research background assigned as mentors.
 Research Methods and Dissemination workshop 24th-27th July 2018 in Addis
Ababa. ETRN researchers participated in the workshop.
 Outreach and Dissemination
 Dedicated New ETRN webpage developed on the website of the ICTD
(http://www.ictd.ac/network/etrn/)
 Regular News letter to members
 Any one who is not on ETRN’s mailing list could get on there through ETRN’s
webpage or by e-mailing ETRN’s e-mail address: etrn@ictd.ac
 ETRN Electronic Library
 Page for ETRN electronic library is set up. The database is up and running. It
could be accessed using www.eldis.org/etrn. There is a link on the webpage of
the ETRN.
 The Library collects over 50 policy and research papers on taxation in Ethiopia.
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7. ETRN Activities…Cont’d
 Two Seminars Conducted:
 First seminar held at the EDRI on 13 April 2018. EDRI staff member spoke
on “Tax Evasion in International Trade: Evidence from Missing Imports in
Ethiopia.”
 Second Seminar held at the ECSU on 18 July 2018. The theme of the
seminar is tax compliance. Two staff members made presentation on:
 “Towards Integrating Antecedents of Voluntary Tax Compliance”
 “Tax Compliance Attitudes of Rural Farmers in Ethiopia”
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8. First ETRN Seminar @ EDRI 8

9. Second ETRN Seminar @ ECSU 9

10. ETRN Activities…Cont’d
 Collaboration Among Countries
 One research project executed with collaboration of ERCA and URA
researchers (experience sharing and comparative research)
 Speakers from URA and RRA invited to make keynote speech at the
second ETRN conference.
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11. 3. The Way Forward
 Publication of ETRN papers
 Peer-reviewed and edited papers will be published on the Website of the ICTD and
will be disseminated to the ICTD’s and ETRN’s networks.
 Strengthening of capacity building and outreach activities
 Holding seminars in different institution on regular and rotating basis
 Facilitate specific capacity building activities
 Continued support for policy relevant research projects by young Ethiopian
researchers.
 New call for proposals expected.
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