Norfund portfolio companies contribute to sustainable development by paying taxes and fees to the countries in which they operate.
Taxes paid in 2022
Total taxes paid by portfolio companies
Total taxes paid in Africa
Increase in total taxes paid by portfolio companies*
*In companies with two consecutive years of reporting
Development rationale
Domestic resource mobilisation is one of the most important ways to facilitate sustainable development. A tax base provides governments with essential resources to spend on infrastructure and public services, such as health, education and social protection.
Norfund’s investments contribute both directly and indirectly to achieving SDG Target 17.1
Results in 2022
Profitable businesses pay taxes to governments in the countries in which they operate. Taxes and fees are paid by Norfund’s portfolio companies and by companies in their value chains.
In 2022, an amount equivalent to NOK 23.2 billion had been paid in taxes and fees by the companies in which Norfund is invested, both directly and through funds. This corresponds to almost 47 % of the total Norwegian development aid in 2022.
43% was paid as corporate income tax and 57% was paid as other transfers, such as sales taxes, withholding taxes, net VAT, royalties, license fees and social security payments.
From the end of 2021 to the end of 2022, the total taxes and fees paid by companies with two consecutive years of reporting increased by NOK 0.5 billion.
Tax revenues per region
About 73 % of the taxes and fees paid by Norfund portfolio companies were paid by companies operating in Africa.
Norfund’s tax policy
A responsible tax policy is fundamental to Norfund’s operations. Our tax policy is based on the principles of the Norfund Act of 1997, Norfund’s statutes and EDFI’s principles for responsible tax in developing countries. It sets out the principles that guide our approach to tax-related issues and what we expect from our portfolio companies and co-investors.
The tax policy includes requirements regarding transparency, that Norfund’s investees shall pay taxes to the countries in which they operate and where the income occurs, and that third countries must only be used when necessary to meet the fund’s development priority of investing in high-risk markets and to protect the fund’s capital.
Based on a review conducted in 2021, operational adjustments, including more focus on tax structure elements and adjustments in the investment manual, were initiated in 2022.