By Neo Kolane
Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) is working towards enhancing its clients’ self-service experience through the E-taxation platform.
The platform is a new digital touch point intended to facilitate and improve clients’ tax compliance by enabling them to file their tax returns and pay taxes online.
The system allows clients to e-file and amend their tax returns at the most convenient time in the comfort of their homes.
During the E-taxation user demonstration on Tuesday this week, RSL operations support commissioner Norman Mapetla said the organisation had embarked on a journey to modernise its operations and systems.
Mapetla said the E-taxation platform that was showcased will enable clients to interact with RSL and file Pay As You Earn and Value Added Tax returns.
He noted that when clients are able to interact with RSL they are more likely to comply because it is easier for them.
Mapetla recalled that due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation was forced to develop a makeshift solution for its clients in order for them to file. This Solution Interim E-filing will no longer be used because RSL has now a fully-fledged solution which is integrated within its core tax management system.
“We also have an E-Platform allowing clients to pay taxes online. It also improves our services to our clients,” Mapetla explained.
The project manager of RSL, Mokhethi Mabea, said it is important for citizens to pay taxes so that the government can finance public goods and services.
“It is becoming more and more important that tax administrations throughout the globe continuously make it easy and cost-effective for the business community and everyone who is employed to comply with the tax laws.
“The journey of e-taxation started in 2014 and processes were not automated; they were eventually automated when the Enterprise Taxation and Policy Management System was implemented. After the implementation, it was a bit costly for clients to comply and still took longer for returns to reach the destination system,” Mabea noted.
In 2018 RSL started working with the government of Lesotho and the African Development Bank (AfDB) on the second phase of e-taxation where registration and filing of returns could be done online.
In her remarks, the acting commissioner-general of RSL, ‘Mathabo Mokoko, explained that the E-taxation system was launched in March to give clients a platform to pay taxes online and e-file their tax returns.
Mokoko said these e-services are aimed at lengthening the use of technology and easing tax payments across the country.
She indicated that RSL is striving to improve and provide easy methods of tax payments and e-filling for their clients in collaboration with stakeholders in the finance and economic industries.
The organisation is also working hard to ensure that data is accessible via online platforms, Mokoko said, emphasising that data is what drives the decisions that RSL makes.
