VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles’ First Lady, Veronique Herminie, has attended the 15th African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) annual meeting and the 11th Women in Tax Network board meeting held in Algiers, Algeria, from November 3 to 7, 2025, at the invitation of the African Tax Administration Forum.
During the event, Mrs Herminie officially handed over her role as chairperson of the African Women in Tax Network (AWITN) to Jeneba Bangura, commissioner general of Sierra Leone’s National Revenue Authority, who was elected as the new chairperson as Mrs Herminie’s mandate came to an end. The symbolic handover took place during a high-level session on gender equality and tax systems at the Centre International de Conférences, as part of the ATAF annual meetings 2025.
Mrs Herminie, who assumed the chairpersonship in November 2023, has been instrumental in propelling AWITN to new heights. Under her leadership, the network’s flagship mentorship programme empowered over 250 women across four cohorts since 2022. The number of female commissioner generals across Africa has risen from two to nine, reflecting AWITN’s growing influence in advancing gender representation in tax leadership.
Her journey with AWITN began in late 2020, when she joined early discussions to establish the network while serving as commissioner general of the Seychelles Revenue Commission (2019–2023). As a founding board member in March 2021, she played a pivotal role in defining AWITN’s vision and mission. The ATAF meeting provided an important platform for African tax leaders to share experiences, discuss emerging challenges, and strengthen cooperation on tax policy and administration across the continent.
