Taxes, customs to go fully digital
The Ministry of Finance said yesterday it will issue two tenders in the next couple of months for the procurement of advanced electronic systems to modernize the country’s customs and tax departments. The tender for the Integrated Customs Information System (ICIS), worth 1.6 million euros, will be issued on April 19 by the General Secretariat for Information Systems (GSIS) of the Economy Ministry. The system is needed to simplify import procedures and meet compatibility with customs services elsewhere in Europe in the exportation of EU products to third countries. In a press release, the ministry argued the upgrade of the system will serve the aims of transparency and fairness, and make it simpler for all involved. The ICIS covers the activities of the Customs Service, such as the management of imports/exports, excise duty-tax, cargo monitoring, special consumption tax, duties management, custom forensics and risk analysis. It is connected via e-mail to other EU systems to monitor cargo transport between points in the EU and to provide and draw upon relevant information. «The benefits of upgrading the ICIS are multiplying, as it is understood in cooperation with the GSIS as contributing to the utilization of manpower and acquiring know-how in new technologies and modern development platforms,» the statement said The GSIS is also developing technological infrastructure that will soon allow for complete electronic services in customs operation with citizens and companies. «ICISnet» will be created on the Internet, and funded by the EU-subsidized Third Community Support Framework. This secure site will also render electronic payments possible and will become the main information site for customs issues. TAXISnet The ministry will also proclaim the tender for the procurement of the new TAXISnet system within March, worth 7 million euros, to be delivered by the end of the year. TAXISnet allows taxpayers to submit their tax returns via the Web or to request forms and data needed for transactions on a daily basis. The new TAXISnet system will also allow the calculation of tax and options for payment by charging the taxpayer’s bank account; the creation of a personal tax file for everyone, constantly updated; the automatic recording of all incomes and transactions for taxpayers and enterprises, for cross-checking and fraud-spotting; and the simplification of tax data, as the taxpayer will only have to fill in data that has changed in the last 12 months.
