The eFPS allows taxpayers to file and pay taxes online through local government offices and private banks.
With the project entering phase five, the internal revenue agency is now extending the eFPS to about 40 local government units in the Philippines. Among the early adopters are the Quezon City government; municipality of Sta. Maria, Bulacan; municipality of Rosario, Cavite; municipality of Baliuag, Bulacan; provincial government of Batangas; municipality of Navotas; municipality of San Luis; and municipality of Lubao, Pampanga.
"But at this stage, we're still doing some hand-holding," said Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Lilia Guillermo in an interview, noting that the agency targets about 40 local government units for its eFPS.
As of August 2005, over 11,000 users— top and “non-large” corporations – were registered with the eFPS, the biggest e-government service serving Filipinos to date, according to Guillermo.
Last year about 50 percent of the 233.36 billion pesos in revenues collected by the agency came through the eFPS.
From January to April 2005, the eFPS has collected about 96.7 billion pesos, or about 64 percent of the total revenues collected during the first four months of the year Guillermo said.
"So this shows that we are already collecting the bulk of the taxes using our eFPS," she added. "We can already account the daily revenues we collect with eFPS."
The BIR eFPS recently won the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) competition for best e-practice, besting entries from five other developing countries.
The agency defeated entries from Chile, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Vietnam. Guillermo received the award--a trophy and 1,000 dollars in cash--in Taipei early this month.
Autor: Erwin Lemuel Oliva
Quelle: INQ7, 15.08.2005
