Accra, Ghana – February 2026
The Revenue Development Foundation (RDF) held its annual Governance Systems Workshop in Accra, Ghana from 23–27 February 2026, gathering representatives from 15 countries across Africa and the Pacific to share experiences and strengthen the use of digital tools for revenue administration, mineral licensing, and extractive sector transparency.
The workshop brought together government officials from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroon, Zambia, Rwanda, Ghana, The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Mali, Malawi, Guinea, Somalia, and the Solomon Islands. Participants presented national case studies and engaged in peer learning around RDF’s suite of governance systems — including the Mining Cadastre Administration System (MCAS/xCAS), the Tax Administration System (TAS), the GovIn taxpayer portal, and the Fusion data platform for EITI mainstreaming and risk management.
The workshop was officially opened by Isaac Andrews Tandoh, CEO of the Ghana Minerals Commission, who drew on Ghana’s own experience with RDF systems to set the tone for the week. Tandoh encouraged all participating delegations to engage candidly and openly in their discussions, emphasizing that frank exchange of both successes and challenges would be key to maximizing the value of the gathering.
“The purpose of RDF is to improve the administration of government revenue in developing countries,” said RDF’s Managing Director Aasmund Andersen at the opening session. “This workshop is an opportunity to learn from each other and build concrete action plans going forward.”
Digitizing Mineral Governance Across Regions
A central theme of the workshop was the ongoing transition from paper-based to fully digital mineral rights administration. Ghana’s Minerals Commission highlighted how MCAS has strengthened accountability by preventing double allocation of concessions and enabling GIS-based mapping of mineral rights — directly supporting the management of natural resources as a public asset. Sierra Leone’s National Minerals Agency, which has used MCAS since its official launch in 2012, showcased integration with the country’s Non-Tax Revenue System, export valuation modules, and customs verification portal. Liberia and Zambia similarly reported on expanded digital licensing workflows, while Rwanda presented the evolution of its Geological Information and Mining Cadastre System (GIMCS) from a manual registry to a fully integrated regulatory platform.
The Solomon Islands, whose Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification has operated MCAS since 2019 under a seven-year MOU with RDF, reported significant improvements in investor credibility, revenue compliance, and the formalization of small-scale mining operations. Looking ahead, the Ministry outlined ambitions for full digital mining governance, including integration with the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank.
EITI and Fiscal Transparency Progress
Several delegations presented advances in using the Fusion and GovIn platforms for EITI reporting. Zambia EITI, which launched its mainstreaming data portal in 2024, reported that it now hosts over 500 datasets publicly accessible in real time — a transformation from a system where mining data was only available after a full year’s delay. Senegal’s CN-ITIE noted that Fusion and GovIn have enabled the production of six official EITI reports since 2019, with plans underway to update both platforms and improve interoperability with other public digital tools.
The DRC, which began EITI implementation in 2025, presented its work on the FUSION platform developed in collaboration with RDF, designed to enable systematic disclosure and replace its current Excel-based declaration process. Gabon outlined an ambitious roadmap to develop a digital governance strategy, build a systematic disclosure mechanism, and create a beneficial ownership registry for extractive companies — identifying stakeholder engagement and financial resources as key obstacles to overcome.
Tax Administration
Beyond the extractive sector, the workshop also featured presentations on tax administration using the RDF TAS, ATOM, GovIn and Fusion systems. The Tax Authority of Cameroon (DGI) reported that 74,703 corporate taxpayers used the GovIn system for fiscal declarations in 2025 — a participation rate of 81.9% — with continued plans to integrate AI-driven tax controls and expand system functionality.
Building Sustainable Systems
Across all sessions, participants highlighted both achievements and shared challenges, including ICT infrastructure gaps, staff turnover, and the need for sustained financial resources. Rwanda and Zambia identified the need to move from licensing-focused systems to full regulatory lifecycle management, incorporating compliance monitoring, automated alerts, and environmental tracking. Liberia is actively decentralizing its mineral administration, with offices now secured in all 15 political subdivisions of the country.
RDF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting partner governments through continued technical assistance, system development, and capacity building. The Foundation holds ISO 9001 certification and ISAE 3402 attestation, reflecting its commitment to quality management and rigorous internal controls.
The workshop concluded with participating countries developing individual action plans to expand system usage, address identified obstacles, and deepen collaboration with RDF in the year ahead.
