Understanding fiscal design in the African extractive sector

Understanding fiscal design in the African extractive sector
  • Effort
    Teaching time: 15 hours
  • From
    2025-04-14
  • to
    2025-05-12
  • Organizer
    IHEDD-Ferdi
  • tags
    Natural resources management
  • Format
    Online courses
  • Language
    French / English (bilingual)
  • prerequisites
    Know how to use Excel's basic functions ▪ Have a computer and an Internet connection.
  • Price
    €450.00
  • Qualifying
    Yes
The aim of this training course is to enable participants to reflect on the main risks and difficulties posed by the taxation of the extractive sector (aggressive tax optimization, indirect transfers, VAT credits, etc.) to which tax authorities must be particularly attentive.

Registration
Natural Resources Management Path

This certification course is part of a natural resources management path, some of which is produced in collaboration with the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI). This course includes several distance learning courses:

  • Understanding and modeling the sharing of mining and petroleum rent in Africa
  • Use of financial models in the African extractive sector 
  • Understanding fiscal design in the African extractive sector (information on this page)  
  • Use Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) data to strengthen transparency in the extractive sector

For certified learners, the path ends with a 5-day face-to-face training course to “Analyze and explore the issues involved in sharing the rent of an extractive project”, organized by the Institute or one of its partners. This session will be in French.

Mise à jour du 18 mars 2025

Les candidatures à la formation "Maîtriser les enjeux de politique fiscale dans le secteur extractif" sont prolongées jusqu'au 14 avril 2025.

Objectives

The natural resource curse is an empirical relationship which states that the richer a country is in natural resources, the lower its growth rate. Several explanations for this curse have been put forward: the Dutch disease and the appreciation of the exchange rate, the deterioration in the quality of institutions, or the emergence of conflicts over the appropriation of resources. The risk posed by this curse weighs heavily on many resource-rich African countries. For these countries, the ability to set up an equitable/optimal tax system is crucial to raising revenues and financing their development.

The aim of this training course is to enable participants to reflect on the main risks and difficulties posed by the taxation of the extractive sector (aggressive tax optimization, indirect transfers, VAT credits, etc.) to which tax authorities must be particularly attentive. The main solutions adopted by certain countries will be examined. Throughout the various distance learning modules, these problems will be illustrated by case studies using basic tax and accounting concepts (balance sheet and income statement).

Training modalities

  • Training content is available 24/7 on the IHEDD distance learning platform, so you can work at your own pace;
  • A forum is available on the training platform, as well as a Whatsapp group to support participants in their training;
  • Every two weeks, an exchange of experience with the trainers and the community of learners is offered by videoconference to go into greater depth on the concepts and answer any questions.
  • Teaching time: 15 hours

Target audience

Economists, lawyers, tax specialists, tax authorities, ministries of mines and hydrocarbons, other public or private actors of the African extractive sector.

Requirements:

  • Know how to use Excel's basic functions.
  • Have a computer and an Internet connection.
  • Training is given in English

Validation des acquis

FERDI issues, on behalf of IHEDD-FERDI, a certificate mentioning the title of the training and the number of teaching hours.

To obtain the certificate for each distance learning course, learners must pass a final evaluation.

Participation fees

Contribution to training costs: 450 €

Scholarships may be available, thanks to the support of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and French Development Agency (AFD), for public administration executives from developing countries.

Agenda

  • 2025/03/17 - Deadline for applications
  • 2025/03/24 - Announcement of selection results
  •  2025/04/01 - Deadline for payment of registration fees
  • From 2025/04/14 to 2025/05/12 - Distance learning

Contacts

contact.ihedd@ferdi.fr

If you have a disability-related need, please contact our disability advisor: emeline.campagne@ferdi.fr