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ReveNewsIssue No.1 2020 KAZUNGULA BRIDGE PROJECT AND THE ONE STOP BORDER POST Enhancing trade facilitation and revenue collection. Taxonline Eases ZRA Acts Against Women Leadership Up-Close With Compliance COVID-19 Forum Fanwell Nyirongo Inside Roll-out of the new Implementation of Getting more women in Working with TaxOnline system health measures leadership roles dedication News & views of what’s happening at the Zambia Revenue Authority Stay Home Stay Safe Use ZRA Online Services ReveNews Foreword EXECUTIVE FOREWORD Mr. Kingsley Chanda ZRA Commissioner General ur transformation agenda is un- success. Tax education programs doubted and unstoppable. The are in place to help taxpayers with ultimate objective is to realise an knowledge on their rights and obli- Oefficient and effective Zambia Revenue Au- gations. While the idea is to reward thority that will support the Vision 2030 compliant taxpayers and punishing through mobilisation of resources for gov- non-compliant taxpayers to the ernment and implementation of growth- maximum, we remain resolute to oriented initiatives for the private sector. having knowledgeable and satisfied taxpayers. This will create This journey that we embarked on in 2016 an environment where there is trust has resulted in a lot of structural reforms and mutual collaborations with our that have yielded both tangible and intangi- stakeholders. ble benefits for all our stakeholders. We have consistently delivered our revenues above In the first quarter of 2020, the target despite unfavourable macroeconomic world was hit with the Coronavirus indicators in some years. pandemic. People across the world have been infected and deaths We have successfully aligned our operational recorded. Zambia is not an structure to the tax laws, implemented a staff exception resulting in serious promotion policy that considers our employ- health and security concerns. Our ees first before looking at outsiders, abolished government responsibly has employment contracts at lower ranks and re- responded with a variety of The implementation of the TaxOnline II sys- placed them with permanent and pension- preventive and curative measures some of tem has reduced the administrative costs of able jobs, digitalised most of our processes which have affected economic activities. updating tax systems in line with the thereby simplifying tax compliance require- ever-changing business environment while ments, decentralised our taxpayer services by Consequently, our revenue collection has increasing compliance for taxpayers because setting up service centres in shopping malls, negatively been affected as consumption has it is easy to use. increased our training budget and started slumped, imports and exports have declined. commercialising our training centres. However, I remain optimistic that we will The Authority has also managed to establish continue to deliver the best results for our an online interface of pre-arrival informa- We have also introduced police and intelli- government and our people in these difficult tion of goods with the Democratic Repub- gence training for customs enforcement times. lic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania. This will officers, implemented a zero tolerance pol- enable ZRA to profile importations destined icy to corruption and developed our own In December, 2019 I launched the wellness for Zambia or transiting, ahead of the arrival TaxOnline II system thereby saving a lot of program for the Authority and I am glad of the goods. Additionally, this will help the money (forex) in system development and that different stations have come up with Authority in risk management interventions support. The promotion of e-payments have programs of ensuring that they meet to thereby, utilising resources prudently and helped in achieving efficiency and reduction exercise and take care of their health. In line at the same time enhance trade facilitation. in cash pilferage. We have started integrating with our wellness program and through the our systems with other tax administrations in example given by His Excellency, President Other reforms include the opening up of the region in order to reduce on smuggling Edgar Lungu, I call upon all of us to keep our service centres at East Park and Cosmopol- and under valuations. These are some of the surroundings clean at all times within and itan Malls, respectively. Anytime this year, many achievements we have made together outside our work premises. we will open another one at the ECL Mall in as a team and with the valuable support of Kitwe. our government, cooperating partners and The Authority has continued to thrive on its our taxpayers. modernisation reform programme in order Under Customs Services, we recently to provide the right business processes for implemented standardised taxes on used The survival of our economy and ultimately our stakeholders. On 5th January, we rolled motor vehicles in order to make taxes more our people depends on this institution now out the TaxOnline II system which has predictable and enable our importers plan more than ever before. Our difficult respon- provided a lot of benefits to our taxpayers. ahead. The standard rates also eliminated sibility of collecting revenues, facilitating Taxonphone is another reform that has corruption in the determination of values for trade, promoting local business growth and enabled taxpayers meet their tax obligations duty purposes. protecting our borders and airports from on their mobile phones without having to use illicit imports and exports has never been a computer or internet. Such institutional Finally, let me pay tribute to all staff, greater in the history of our country in the innovations have given us hope that we can taxpayers, the government, cooperating face of adverse global economic dynamics. do more if we continue to invest in partners and everyone else who has been It is for this reason that I constantly urge all technology. To that effect, the Kalundu involved in combating the Corona virus Zambians to ensure that we cultivate and in- House which was used to develop TaxOnline pandemic. This disease is a global health and ternalise the spirit of voluntary compliance II is now our Innovation Hub and shall be economic threat that we cannot afford to because that is the only way we can grow and managed by our Innovation and Project ignore. protect our local economy. Management Director. We will continue innovating and developing our own systems Thank you very much and enjoy reading this Our drive towards ensuring that there is designed to improve our service delivery. publication. voluntary tax compliance has been yielding 3 ReveNews Contents Contents ReveNews is your publication and your contribution in form of letters, comments, ideas and articles you wish to share will go a long way in Forewordmeeting the objectivesPg3 of this newsletter.Editorial Pg5 EDITORIAL TEAM Feature Minister implores ZRA to collect more.................. 6 TaxOnline............................................................. 7 Voluntary compliance..................................... 8 Splitting of DOMT............................................10 Oliver Nzala Mildred Chama Covid 19...............................................................11 Editor Contributor Tax revenue collection – historical perspective...12 ICD story..............................................................14 Enhanced tax education......................................15 Advance Tariff rulings..........................................16 Mwenya Mulenga Chiseche Ngoma Taxpayers helped my family................................19 Contributor Contributor Kazungula............................................................17 Women’s Leadership Forum................................25 Health Sports & wellness ...............................................18 Laban Simbeye Merindah Moonga Healthy and safety...............................................21 Contributor Contributor Lifestyle Chronicles of a working Mother...........................20 Up-Close With Fanwell Nyirongo.........................22 Natasha Phiri Chipambaniso Entertainment Photo focus..........................................................27 Contributor Munyonzwe Contributor Layout: Nkweza Chimanja Clive Chibabe Dominic Chungu Contributor 4 ReveNews Editorial Editorial Editorial Dear readers, As with anything in life, hopeful that everyone is the more you put in to the keeping safe and ensuring It is my pleasure to ReveNews, the more you all hygiene standards are share the first edition of will get out of it. Please feel being met. This is why we ReveNews for 2020. free to write articles, case shall have more electronic studies and any copies than printed copies In this publication, we other tips or tools that for this publication. highlight the roll out of the could be of value to your TaxOnline system other peers and our taxpayers. We always strive to make staff related activities. We our ReveNews more than also have the message from It is gratifying to note that just a publication by being our Commissioner Gen- ever since the Authority informative and using it to eral outlining the strategic started implementing its serve our taxpayers. We are direction of the Authority Corporate Strategic Plan always open to any ideas in 2020, the key roles that (CSP) 2019-2021; a lot has that will help us improve. women play in ZRA in- changed especially Please email your ideas to cluding the launch of the aspects of tax compliance the editor. ZRA Women’s Leadership resulting