Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE country’s revenue collection body – Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) – is at an advanced stage of acquiring ISO 9001 Package 15 Certification, a milestone achieved by very few Revenue Authorities (RAs) on the continent.
Even though there is no publicly available comprehensive number of how many African revenue authorities that are ISO certified as the data is not collected centrally, many African countries have established Revenue Authorities (RAs), and progress in areas like tax transparency is reported, but this does not ideally specify ISO certification status.
Addressing delegates during a breakfast meeting held at a local hotel at the close of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi World Tourism Expo, ZIMRA Acting Commissioner General, Mr Batsirayi Chadzingwa, said efforts to achieve the ISO Certification have been made lighter with the assistance of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ).
Mr Chadzingwa said: “We are also on a journey towards ISO 9001 Package 15 Certification. We have SAZ helping us walk though this journey. We are hoping that before the end of this year we could be celebrating our ISO Certification as a revenue authority.
“This will be the first if its kind. I think if you check, in Africa, if we happen to, we will become one of the first revenue authorities or offices to be certified. We are at an advanced stage of aligning our standards to international quality standards.
“Ensuring improved service delivery, accountability and innovation, I know for those who are familiar with ISO issues, the issues of accountability, standardisation of procedures, credibility are key enablers to efficiency levels.”
ZIMRA has, in recent years, upped its game towards its revenue collection mandate with the adaptation of diverse technologies that, not only enhance ease of doing business, but also argument security and thwart corrupt tendencies.
The introduction of drone technology has gone a long way in improving vigilance along the country’s borderlines with neighbouring countries.
Mr Chadzingwa said: “Yesterday, we were in Mt Selinda (Chipinge), apparently we found ourselves almost stepping into the Mozambican side because there is no borderline to talk about. So, it then gives people an opportunity to use these illegal entry and exit points for smuggling, even the illegal movement of people.
The drones are helping us to identify these illegal entry and exit points. This technology helps us with management of national revenue collection and even for national security.”
Mr Chadzingwa spoke of the positive impact that some technological innovations such as Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS) are helping clients as well as the RA in tax management.
TaRMS is a new tax administration system that ZIMRA is introducing to replace the current tax payment and administration system being used for domestic taxes or inland revenues.
The new TaRMS will result in new business partner accounts for all domestic taxes paying clients as well as those paying for excise licencing fees.
Said Mr Chadzingwa: “We have invested in technological innovations to simplify and improve your experience. TaRMS is revolutionising the way taxes are managed and collected in Zimbabwe.
“This state-of-the-art system will streamline processes, enhance accuracy, and provide taxpayers with a user-friendly platform for seamless interaction with ZIMRA.
“With TaRMS, taxpayers can expect simplified registration, enhanced online services, real-time tracking of tax obligations, and automated compliance checks.
“Apart from TaRMS, I am delighted that ZIMRA has made head ways on the following: Zimbabwe Electronic Single Window (ZESW): An innovation in customs clearance that simplifies trade processes, reduces paperwork, increases transparency, and enhances ease of doing business — especially critical for our importers and exporters.”
For the convenience of taxpayers, taxpayer registration, tax returns processing, tax payments, refunds, revenue accounting, taxpayer accounting, debt management, tax agents’ management, audit and risk management, case management and reporting can easily be managed by TaRMS.
