EZULWINI:Brightwell Nkambule, the Commissioner General of the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS) says the revenue institution has ‘suffered’ a E4.4billion tax gap amid under-declaration by some companies within wholesale, retail and construction among other industries.
Speaking during the Income Filing Season awareness event held at the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS) Headquarters-Ezulwini Wednesday, the Commissioner General said, to address this tax gap, the revenue institution will consider installing a software in the payment systems of some wholesale and retail companies to monitor sales.
“The latest Tax Gap Study reveals a tax gap of about E4.4 billion, equivalent to nearly one-third of last year’s total collections. The largest contributor to this gap remains Value-Added Tax (VAT), while the Wholesale and Retail sector accounts for almost 25% of the total gap-approximately E1billion”, said the ERS Commissioner General.
On another note, the Commissioner General appealed to the media, the business sector and all partners to advocate for voluntary tax compliance and support the revenue institution’s efforts to close the tax gap.
“I therefore call upon our partners present today, business associations, professional bodies, and the media, to champion tax-compliance advocacy within your constituencies. With your support, we can close the gap and reach 100% compliance across all sectors,” he said.
Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS) Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule.