Zimra implements strategic plan

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is in the process of implementing various projects that are part of its five-year strategy to transform service delivery, ease of doing business as well as plugging revenue leakages and modernising the agency.

The projects, that have been aligned to the National Development Strategy 1, began being implemented last year and will run until 2025 with funding from the $6,1 billion received from the Treasury.

Speaking at a media engagement breakfast meeting yesterday, Zimra director of research, strategy and modernisation, Mr Joey Shumbamhini, said the projects would contribute towards the NDS1 national priority on economic growth and national stability.

"We want to achieve a Zimra with a strengthened institutional image, maximise revenue collection and we also want to increase voluntary compliance and enhance trade facilitation and protection of civil society," he said.

The authority is replacing the current domestic tax system with a new tax and revenue management system that will compel all clients to be accountable.

"The new TaRMS will also improve ease of doing business. In this project each person will have a tax identification number and this will change how taxes are paid, everyone will be accountable. It is funded by the AfDB and the Government of Zimbabwe," said Mr Shumbamhini.

Zimra is also in the process of upgrading the ASCUDA system being used for customs data processing to improve efficiency at all ports of entry.

ASYCUDA has been adopted as the official customs computer system in the Comesa region and is being used by 19 member states.

Zimbabwe started using the system for all commercial transactions in 1991 and the system has evolved through technological developments.

Mr Shumbamhini said the latest upgrade would increase efficiency at ports of entry and exit while also improving ease of doing business.

Other projects include automation and digitalisation, the construction of dry ports at four locations in Makuti, Mutare, Bulawayo and Masvingo, the purchase of new surveillance equipment that includes drones and modern scanners to curb smuggling activities.

The Zimra strategy has been anchored on the digitalisation plan which seeks to modernise all operations through of technology.

According to Zimra director for information communication and technology, Mr Shami Moyo, the digitalisation strategy will allow the tax authority to increase effectiveness while reducing human interface to minimise corruption.

He said the integration of systems was an integral part of the plan.

"At national level we recognise that we are operating in silos with non-integrated systems. Now a programme has been put in place through the NDS and we as the authority have come in to make sure that the national systems are integrated. When you deal with Zimra, you can validate information from Home Affairs, registry systems, the company registry systems and so on. It is also being operationalised through the other agencies and the tax authority is one of the key enablers and participants in that area," he said.

Through the digitalisation strategy, Zimra will introduce new scanners that will increase the clearing process at the ports of entry as well as drones to monitor the borderlines and help reduce smuggling activities.