Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) says mobile tax payment solutions figures increased to over 52,000 transactions by the end of July 2020 from April 2017, indicating a taxpayer up take of 1,000 percent in just three years of implementing mobile tax payment solutions.
Speaking at the official launch of Tax on WhatsApp Payment, Authority Acting Commissioner General Sydney Chibbabbuka said during the same period, the Authority collected over K25.7 million taxes.
Mr Chibbabbuka stated that over 90 % of ZRA payment platforms are online based, further expressing hope that the launched product will result in 100 percent online payments.
“I am glad to inform you that by the end of July 2020, this figure had risen to over 52,000 transactions indicating a taxpayer uptake of 1,000 % in just three years of implementation. In addition, during this same period we have collected over 27.7 million taxes and currently over 90 % of our payments are online and we hope this product we are launching today will push us to 100% online payments,” he said.
He noted that the launched platform is another milestone in the Authority’s transformation agenda of modernizing all business processes as the innovation will enable taxpayers pay their taxes using WhatsApp on their mobile phones ultimately bringing convenience, Efficiency, Comfort and Simplicity to tax payment.
Mr Chibbabbuka added that the launched product is part of ZRA’s agenda to make tax payments easy for tax payers both individuals and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME’s), because WhatsApp is the most popular social media communication platform that is also used for marketing purposes by the informal business Countrywide and hence using it for tax payment will enable the authority to bring on board this group of tax payers.
“This is another milestone in our transformation agenda of modernizing all our business processes because this innovation will enable our taxpayers pay their taxes using WhatsApp on their phones ultimately bring convenience, efficiency, comfort and simplicity to tax payment,” He said.
And speaking earlier, Investrust Bank Managing Director Simangolwa Shakalima said the initiative is a demonstration of partnership in improving service delivery for clients and it cannot come at a better time than now especially with the advent of Covid-19.
Meanwhile Cgrate Managing Director Zambia Kelvin Chikomo noted the launched platform will make it easy for all Zambians to pay taxes for the development of the Country.