Zamtel, ZRA unveil mobile tax payment platform

Zambia’s state-owned telecoms provider Zamtel in partnership with the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has launched a mobile tax payment system using the telco’s mobile money platform Zamtel Kwacha.

The move stated the telecoms utility, will see Zamtel customers remit all their domestic taxes such as Turnover Tax, Base Tax, Income Tax, VAT, Withholding Tax and Pay As You Earn via the Zamtel Kwacha platform.

Other tax types covered under this innovation include Property Transfer Tax, Mineral Royalty, medical Levy Tax, Presumptive Tax and Insurance Premium Levy.

To use the service, all taxpayers will be required to use the Zamtel Kwacha short code *344# and insert their TPIN.

For each successful transaction, customers will receive a notification.

The mobile tax payment platform will also be used to capture millions of informal sector players such as marketeers and small scale traders by the Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) who have been engaged by the ZRA to act as a tax agent in the collection of base tax.

The appointment of ZANAMACA as a sole tax agent is in line with a Statutory Instrument issued on 15th June 2018 by the Ministry of Finance on the collection of base tax in the informal sector.

Sydney Mupeta, CEO, Zamtel, said the new tax electronic payment system will enhance customer convenience and promote tax compliance by a vast majority of taxpayers.

“We are excited about this partnership with ZRA as it again demonstrates that Zamtel has the capacity and necessary platforms that can drive economic transformation. We are confident that our customers will enjoy paying their taxes as this will now be done conveniently from their devices using Zamtel Kwacha,” Mupeta added.

“Our Zamtel Kwacha platform is a rapidly growing channel which many of our customers are now using to make payments for services and utilities and being able to remit base tax through this unique platform will surely be a game changer,” he added.

Kingsley Chanda, commissioner general at ZRA, explained that the partnership is expected to capture millions of taxpayers.

Chanda said the move further demonstrates ZRA’s resolve to fully adopt the use of latest technology in tax administration.

“We are happy to partner with Zamtel on this initiative which will go a long way in boosting revenue collection. We are in the process of announcing similar initiatives with other market players in order to strengthen efforts to improve tax compliance and collection,” he said.