ZRA invests K40m into high-end online system: Electronic fiscal devices contribute to service delivery, business solutions

BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes

@SunZambian

THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) last year invested in excess of K40 million to acquire high-end and sophisticated servers for online tax systems.

This is in the organsation’s continued effort to stabilise core systems, says ZRA Commissioner General, Kingsley Chanda.

Mr Chanda said these innovations and system developments had revolutionised service delivery as most taxpayers no longer see the need to physically visit ZRA offices most of the time.

He explained that this was because taxpayers and their tax agents or advisors were able to do most of the activities online especially during this time of Covid-19.

He said ZRA would therefore this year focus on enhancing the tax system to address the demands of the taxpayers.

ZRA is looking at providing the business houses with easier and cheaper options for integrating with the organisation for transmission of their live sales data.

“With regard to fiscalisation, the focus in 2020 was to monitor the utilisation of electronic fiscal devices (EFDS). This year, our focus will be to enhance the system to address the demands of the changing business and platforms,” Mr Chanda said recently during a press briefing in Lusaka.

Mr Chanda said ZRA wanted to be more responsive to business needs and taxpayer needs in a much faster and more efficient manner.

He said it was in this regard that management approved prince II agile framework as a management tool for all projects.

“This is the most modern way of managing projects in order to ensure success, sustainability and avoid wastage and project failure.

“All these efforts are with the view of ensuring that the authority remains relevant and responds to the prevailing environment,” Mr Chanda said.

Mr Chanda also said ZRA responded to the Covid-19 challenges by making extensive use of the remote working capabilities that were already in place in the authority.

He said up to 600 staff members were enabled to work from home during the peak time of the pandemic as most of the internal business processes had been automated, making remote working even more effective.