Ghana faces significant challenges in socio-economic development due to illicit financial flows (IFFs), which result in substantial tax losses and hinder the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The article highlights the impact of IFFs on various sectors, including health, education, and infrastructure, and emphasizes the need for better tax enforcement and international cooperation to combat these financial crimes. Key stakeholders, including the Ghana Revenue Authority and international organizations, call for improved governance and transparency to enhance domestic revenue mobilization and support developmental projects.

Zimbabwe celebrated its 41st independence anniversary with President Emmerson Mnangagwa promising a US$12 billion revenue from the mining sector by 2023. Despite abundant mineral resources, many Zimbabweans' lives have not improved. The goldfields are contested by the elite and state institutions, including the Defence Forces. Reports by the International Crisis Group and others have linked Mnangagwa and his associates to corruption and illegal mining activities. The gold sector is crucial for foreign currency but is marred by smuggling and illicit financial flows, with government officials implicated. Upcoming general elections in 2023 raise skepticism about the sincerity of the government's mining sector initiatives, with past promises unfulfilled and corruption unaddressed.