ENCORE 2026 brought an international gathering of tax administrators, technology specialists and policymakers to Nadi, Fiji, from October 25 to 28. Organised by Data Tech International (DTI) under the theme Customers in Action, the conference examined how fiscalization, electronic invoicing and increasingly sophisticated data analysis are changing the business of collecting taxes.
Among the participants was Igor Ujhazi, CEO of The RegTech, who contributed to two discussions examining the future of transaction monitoring and the growing responsibilities of governments adopting artificial intelligence.
Coming shortly after the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, the occasion provided an opportunity to connect two increasingly urgent policy questions: how governments can improve their understanding of economic activity, and how they can retain meaningful control over technologies that are acquiring a greater role in public decision-making.
5 Key Takeaways from ENCORE 2026
1. Trusted transaction data is becoming essential national infrastructure. Fiscalization creates the evidence that supports more effective administration. Data quality, consistent standards and reliable taxpayer identification determine how confidently that evidence can be used for monitoring, verification and economic analysis.
2. Continuous transaction control requires institutional readiness. Faster reporting places new demands on legislation, administrative procedures and technical infrastructure. Governments need to establish who can act on transaction information, under what authority and with which safeguards.
3. Artificial intelligence needs accountable public institutions. Advanced analytics can improve the identification of unusual behaviour and support better allocation of administrative resources. Their use requires explainability, human oversight, clear responsibility and practical mechanisms for challenging errors.
4. Digital commerce is changing the tax compliance problem. Professor Richard T. Ainsworth of Boston University demonstrated how payment facilitators, platforms and adaptive payment structures can complicate the relationship between a sale and the eventual distribution of funds. Revenue authorities increasingly need to reconcile invoices, payments and commercial records across multiple systems.
5. Sustainable reform depends on cooperation. The discussions involving revenue authorities, technology providers and regional organisations highlighted the importance of local capacity, vendor ecosystems and taxpayer participation. Successful reforms require skills, institutional continuity and solutions suited to the jurisdictions in which they operate.
ENCORE 2026 and the Changing Economics of Tax Administration
For many governments, domestic revenue mobilization has become one of the most consequential areas of economic policy. Public debt, infrastructure demands and limited fiscal resources have increased the pressure on revenue authorities to make better use of existing tax systems.
This gave the discussions in Fiji considerable relevance. Experiences shared by administrations from Samoa, Fiji and the Republic of Srpska, among others, illustrated the practical importance of accurate transaction records, effective monitoring and the capacity to identify compliance risks.
The economic argument is compelling. Governments that understand taxable activity more accurately can improve compliance management and reduce opportunities for revenue leakage. Better information also allows authorities to direct scarce administrative resources towards the cases that genuinely require attention.
Technology operates within institutions whose responsibilities extend well beyond data collection. The ability to interpret information, protect taxpayers’ rights and act within a clear legal mandate remains central to any credible reform.
From Fiscalization to Continuous Transaction Control
One of the central conversations at ENCORE 2026 concerned the evolution from fiscalisation towards Continuous Transaction Control (CTC).
During the opening panel, Ujhazi joined Goran Todorov, CEO of Data Tech International, Hans Berg, Founder and CEO of Arratech and a member of OpenPeppol’s Managing Committee, and Petero Maivucevuce, Head of the PITAA Secretariat.
Their discussion explored the technological and institutional requirements of more continuous fiscal monitoring. Transaction validation, digital identity, interoperability and regulatory authority all have a part to play in the transition.
For Ujhazi, these developments raise questions that deserve attention at the earliest stages of system design. Who has the legal authority to access and interpret transaction data? Which decisions can be automated? How are errors challenged and corrected? And who remains answerable when an automated recommendation influences an administrative decision?
Such asks may appear less exciting than the technology itself. Nevertheless, they are precisely the questions that determine whether a digital reform can survive its first serious legal challenge.
From Bangkok to Fiji: a Formula One Problem for AI Governance
Only days before ENCORE, artificial intelligence had occupied a prominent place in discussions at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.
On October 16, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva compared the speed of AI development to a Formula One race, warning of the need for barriers capable of protecting people when things go wrong. Her warning reflected growing concern over the pace at which technological capabilities are advancing and the difficulties policymakers face in establishing effective safeguards.
For Ujhazi, who also attended the Bangkok meetings, the comparison captures a fundamental challenge confronting governments: “We are behaving as though we are driving a car capable of 400 miles an hour, while lawmakers are still deciding where to install the guardrails. Kristalina Georgieva’s warning in Bangkok captures the urgency of the situation. We cannot afford to discover the limits of artificial intelligence through accidents in public administration. Governments need clear legal authority, accountable institutions and enforceable safeguards. Governance is how we make that extraordinary speed manageable.”
The consequences are particularly serious in public administration, where automated systems may influence audits, public benefits, regulatory enforcement and access to essential services. A workable legal framework must therefore address responsibility, transparency, data protection, independent oversight and the right to challenge consequential decisions.
The need for such safeguards will only grow as institutions expand the use of artificial intelligence. The legal profession may be accustomed to moving cautiously, but technology developers rarely consult the legislative calendar.
Turning Tax Data into Accountable Decisions
These concerns featured prominently in “Unlocking the Power of Tax Data & AI,” a fireside conversation moderated by Allan Stevens, bringing together Ujhazi and Marko Denić, Product Owner at Data Tech International.
Denić explored how the vast quantities of information generated by fiscalization systems can become useful operational intelligence. He also presented the thinking behind TaxCore Analytics, currently in development, including explainable risk indicators, taxpayer profiling and the ability to trace analytical findings back to individual transactions.
For Ujhazi, this growing analytical capability creates an equally important responsibility for public institutions. A system that ranks taxpayers according to perceived risk can influence who receives scrutiny, which cases are investigated and how administrative resources are allocated. Such decisions require reliable data, fair comparisons, clearly defined authority and the ability to challenge an automated assessment.
“Greater visibility gives tax administrations more opportunities to act intelligently. It also demands greater discipline in how they exercise their authority”, Igor Ujhazi, CEO of The RegTech said.
His broader observation concerned the institutional readiness of governments. Artificial intelligence is already finding its way into public-sector work, frequently ahead of formal guidance and internal procedures. Staff need to understand the limitations of these tools, including their capacity to produce convincing but inaccurate conclusions.
Risk assessments must remain explainable. If a taxpayer is selected for investigation, officials should be able to reconstruct the evidence, identify the indicators involved and explain the reasoning behind the decision. Six months later, a commissioner should still be able to ask why a particular business attracted attention and receive a defensible answer.
Ujhazi also addressed the hesitation surrounding adoption. Concerns over privacy, security, procurement and legal responsibility are legitimate, but prolonged uncertainty can leave institutions poorly prepared while informal experimentation continues. His proposed starting point is practical: educate officials, strengthen data quality, bring technical and legal expertise together, and test clearly defined applications under human supervision.
The lasting capability, he argued, must reside within the administration itself. Technology will continue to develop rapidly. Public institutions need the expertise and authority to understand it, question it and decide when its use is appropriate.
The Fiscal Dividend of Better Governance
The connection between improved tax administration and stronger public finances deserves particular attention.
At ENCORE 2026, the discussion “Increasing Revenue Without Increasing Tax Rates” examined how better transaction visibility and more effective compliance management can help governments collect revenue under existing legislation.
For finance ministries facing difficult budgetary choices, this represents a significant policy opportunity. Greater visibility can help administrations identify underreported economic activity, improve audit selection and strengthen voluntary compliance. The resulting gains must be measured carefully, with due consideration for economic growth, changes in taxpayer coverage and other reforms.
Effective governance contributes directly to this process. Clear rules encourage consistent enforcement, support taxpayer confidence and provide the institutional stability required for long-term investment in digital systems. For The RegTech, the connection between fiscal technology and domestic revenue mobilization is increasingly important. Improving the state’s capacity to collect revenue fairly and efficiently creates greater room for economic development and essential public investment.
What ENCORE 2026 Leaves for the Road Ahead
The conference concluded with a broader discussion of intelligent tax ecosystems, led by DTI CEO Goran Todorov. His vision of connecting verified B2C, B2B and B2G transactions offered a perspective on how national fiscal infrastructure may evolve. ENCORE 2026 also demonstrated the value of bringing together administrations at different stages of reform. Their experiences provide practical lessons on legislation, implementation, taxpayer engagement and the realities of operating national systems over many years.
For Igor Ujhazi and The RegTech, participation reinforced an argument that has become increasingly prominent in the company’s work: technological progress demands corresponding investment in legal certainty, regulatory competence and institutional accountability.
The next generation of tax administration will have access to extraordinary quantities of economic information and increasingly powerful analytical tools. Whether those capabilities deliver lasting public value will depend on the decisions governments make about their use. Fiji provided an opportunity to discuss the future. The responsibility for governing it now returns to the institutions that will have to make it work.
We are here to help governments, financial institutions, and businesses to effectively comply with growing regulatory requirements through technology.
