Egypt MESR - Tax Administration and Policy Specialist

SCOPE OF WORK

Macro-Economic Stabilization and Reform (MESR) Activity

Tax Administration and Policy Specialist

DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and host-country governments.

Project Background:

The USAID Macro-Economic Stabilization and Reform (MESR) project will address Egypt’s macroeconomic challenges, assist with implementing critical public financial management reforms, and set the stage for broad-based economic growth and achievement of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. The MESR project will focus on human capacity building and institutional development to promote sustainability of reforms and empower government staff to improve capital investment processes and the effectiveness of public finance systems. Stakeholders and counterparts include the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Ministry of Planning (MOP), Egyptian tax authorities, economic think tanks, universities supporting training efforts, the private sector, and international organizations working in the area of public financial management.

The project is organized around two objectives: 1) Improved public investment planning, implementation, and monitoring and 2) upgraded effectiveness of public financial management. For component 1, key project activities will include improving the process of capital investment planning and appraisal, developing alternative financing schemes, implementing a continuous improvement system, upgrading the monitoring and evaluation of capital investments, and enhancing coordination between the MOP and MOF in budget planning and formulation. For component 2, key project activities will include improving government’s cash management, reforming budgeting processes to achieve program results, enhancing tax administration and forecasting, and developing improved capacity to address fiscal risks. Assistance from the project will enhance government capacity, promote more effective policies, and support better-functioning institutions, thus encouraging a virtuous cycle of economic growth in Egypt that supports private sector development, increases international competitiveness, decreases public debt, and reduces poverty.

Responsibilities and Key Tasks:

The Tax Policy/Administration Specialist will be responsible for providing technical assistance on tax policy reform, regulations, revenue impact analysis, tax administration, audit, and collections, as part of the Public Investment Objective.

• Lead the preparation of the Objective 2 work plan, carry out technical and training assignments related to tax policy and administration.
• Provide MOF with tax policy advice to prepare potential amendments to tax legislation and assist with subsequent regulatory and administrative changes.
• Advise in the development of the capacity, policy, and procedures of the Macro-Fiscal Policy Unit.
• Assist in the design and development of input-output analysis for VAT, trend analysis for excises and customs duties, and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling for estimating the economic impact of major tax changes.
• Manage the development of a modular system for tax policy analysis and macro-fiscal forecasting, including the development of a supporting database for exogenous and endogenous variables,
• Analyze current tax administration systems and prepare recommendations for improvement, including tax declaration filing, payment processing, and issuance of tax refunds,
• Institute train-the trainers and online training system for tax revenue analysis and forecasting.
• Lead administrative enhancements to include new systems and procedures for tax administration, focusing on opportunities for automation, such as expanded e-filing, case management, risked-based audit selection, automated collection notifications, and enhanced data analytics and visualization.
• Prepare technical studies, incorporating best practices and lessons learned, related to tax policy, tax revenue analysis, and tax administration.
• Assist GOE MOF counterparts in strategic planning for institutional change, designing and implementing training and capacity building for government staff.
• Conducts gap analyses and implements plans for tax administration modernization efforts in conjunction with the crosscutting IT team.

Qualifications:

• B.A. in economics, finance, audit, tax or related field. A relevant master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 8 years of experience assisting government or corporate clients in tax regulations, policy, collections, and audits.
• Knowledge of Egypt’s Ministry of Finance, previous work with ministry preferred.
• Experience in providing international technical assistance with USAID or other donor organizations is preferred.
• Good communication and writing skills, fluency in English required.

Location and Reporting:

The Tax Administration/Policy Specialist will be based in Cairo, Egypt and will report to the Public Financial Management Team Lead.

To apply, please send your CV to Apply to send email to the employer with the subject line “Tax Admin/Policy Specialist” by September 17, 2018. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Location: Egypt

Job Code: 3942