A Continental Gathering of Reformers

Across Africa, the drive for digital PFM (dPF) reform is profound. CABRI’s Regional Peer-Learning and Exchange workshop, titled “Digital PFM in Action: Digital Tools for Transparent, Inclusive, and Resilient Public Finance”, held in Kigali, in Rwanda, from March 9–10, 2026, provided an opportunity to share digital reform stories that carried the weight of transformation. A procurement officer, once buried under endless paper trails, now navigates a digital platform that reconciles commitments with approved budgets in seconds. In Monrovia, a payroll clerk processes salaries with confidence, knowing that each payment is validated against authorized staff records, while tax compliance checks run quietly in the background, ensuring integrity in every transaction.

Digital Public Finance Reform practitioners from Rwanda, Liberia, Benin, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia, The Gambia, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Uganda shared lived experiences of digital PFM innovation. Each country brought its own story: some spoke of breakthroughs in e‑procurement, others of challenges in integrating tax systems, and still others of the promise of interoperability to knit fragmented platforms into cohesive ecosystems. Together, they painted a picture of fiscal governance in motion a continent where digital transformation is no longer a distant aspiration but a daily reality reshaping how governments manage public resources.

This gathering was more than a workshop; it was a continental dialogue. It revealed how diverse contexts converge around a shared ambition: to harness digital tools as engines of transparency, accountability, and citizen trust.

Digital Reforms as Strategic Levers
These realities came alive during the peer-learning workshop. The event convened practitioners from across Africa to explore how digital tools are redefining transparency, accountability, and efficiency in fiscal governance. Integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS), e‑procurement platforms, and digital tax administration were showcased not as technical upgrades, but as strategic levers for building citizen trust and fostering inclusive governance. Case studies from Rwanda, Kenya, and Liberia demonstrated how these innovations reduce leakages, streamline procurement, and align fiscal reforms with national development priorities.

Peer-Learning and Shared Challenges
Peer-learning was central to the workshop’s design. Participants engaged in interactive discussions on challenges such as interoperability, cybersecurity, and limited technical capacity. The collaborative format underscored that while contexts differ, success depends on leadership, political commitment, and sustained investment in human capital.

Liberia’s Next Strategic Step: Interoperability
For Liberia, the next step is interoperability. Its current systems standalone IFMIS, e‑procurement, and integrated tax administration operate in silos. Linking them into a cohesive ecosystem could revolutionise fiscal discipline. Procurement aligned with budgets, payroll tied to verified staff records, and vendor payments cross‑checked for tax compliance would not only reduce leakages but also strengthen domestic revenue collection and enhance data accuracy.

Regional Cooperation as a Multiplier
The Kigali workshop also reiterated the value of regional cooperation. Networks of reform practitioners are more than professional circles; they are accelerators of change. Innovations pioneered in one country can ripple across borders, inspiring reforms elsewhere and multiplying impact.

Conclusion: Trust and Resilience Through Digital PFM
Africa’s fiscal future lies in bold, cooperative digital reforms that put people and trust at the center. The Kigali workshop was more than a meeting it was a reminder that when countries learn together, they grow stronger together, and that digital PFM is ultimately about resilience, accountability, and inclusive governance.