Nobody enjoys doing taxes. Besides the fact that you are giving up money, there are the huge inconveniences that come with the process; from filling out forms, queuing just to make inquiries and also following up on previous payments to verify your compliance.
Everyone has always expected technology to fix these challenges and thankfully our local revenue authority, ZIMRA, agrees. Earlier today, we attended the launch of the ZIMRA e-services platform. The revenue authority was formally introducing the public to its new online system that will handle a number of tax obligations electronically.
Read more: ZW: ZIMRA launches e-services platform, enables engagement of tax issues online
Government is in the process of re-configuring, recreating and modernise public administration systems using information communication technology (ICT).
Already 11 applications under the e-government initiative have gone live in a bid to improve service delivery
In a speech read on his behalf at the ongoing African Tax Administration Forum's High Level Conference on ICT here in Victoria Falls, Dr Misheck Sibanda said the applications had gone live for all projects that are riding on the already existing Public Finance Management System hardware infrastructure and Enterprise Resources Planning ERP licences.
An effective public procurement office is as discussed in previous articles, responsible for legislation and policy function whereby it is expected to be instrumental in directing the creation of the legal framework.
It is further expected to be the advisor to the government on procurement matters. The most recent articles explored the monitoring function of the public procurement office (PPO) where the ex ante and ex post facto review and procurement auditing where identified as critical attributes to maintain integrity in public procurement. The focus is now on the other critical roles of the public procurement office that include the information function covered by this article, the capacity building function, the development function, the supervisory and enforcement functions that shall follow.
The Government is losing millions of dollars in uncollected revenue emanating from poor systems integration of information in the formal and informal sectors.
As a result, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority was challenged to leverage global ICT trends to enhance modernisation of their tax administration using various testimonials from South Africa, Sweden and Botswana as specimen of how this can be implemented.
Government is working on a policy that will ensure telecommunications companies share infrastructure such as towers where possible to save their companies and the country millions of dollars, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira has said.
Speaking at an ICT Suppliers of Zimbabwe annual general meeting in Harare on Tuesday, Minister Mandiwanzira said it was nonsensical for telecommunication companies not to share infrastructure and such greed was costing the country millions of dollars.
Read more: ZW: Govt Finalising Revised ICT Policy - Mandiwanzira