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Fifty get Fifty Thousands each in EBM lottery

50 persons scooped their prizes as the tax administration went to Musanze district for the electronic billing machine lottery on 12 November 2015. The event benefited lucky winners who entered their valid electronic invoices during the month of October, and got 50,000 Rwf by dialing *800# with a mobile phone and follow the instructions. The fifty phone numbers were selected from 110,000 total players and over 38,000 valid EBM receipts entered in the system. Mbonigaba Antoine, one of the fifty and resident of Musanze expressed his appreciation to RRA for the clear and transparent lottery exercise. He said that he used to purchase at places where he can get an electronic receipt and try his chances to win, calling others to try their own chances. EBM lottery is one of the communications strategies aimed at promoting the use of EBM and develop the culture of Invoice asking. This will also increase the VAT collected from Taxpayers. VAT is the tax paid by the last consumer on specific goods and services with added value. The responsibility of the sellers being to collect on behalf of the government and send it to the tax administration to contribute to the national treasury, some still resist and opt to use forged documents and unauthentic papers to confiscate that tax. Seth Muhirwa, deputy commissioner in charge of human resource at RRA reminded that ‘asking EBM invoice is the right of the consumers.’ He added: “EBM receipt is a testimony that you purchased and that the tax you paid has reached the national treasury,” he points out. The tax administration introduced the EBM platform in 2013 to respond to challenges in fiscal issues and revenue collection, believing to have an increase in taxes and improving services rendered to the taxpayers. According to Emmy Mbera, EBM project coordinator, electronic billing machine contributed an increase of 6.5% of VAT collected between 2013 and 2014. The tax administration expects more increase in revenues as people ask EBM and verify their authenticity during their purchases. The use of electronic billing machine is mandatory to businesses registered in VAT, mainly those having over twenty million of turn over annually or five million quarterly. Challenges in VAT collection include resistance from sellers who don’t want to use EBM. The tax administration believes that consumers can play a big role in forcing resistant business people community to issue EBM invoices by asking the receipt whenever they purchase. The EBM lottery awarding is a monthly exercise which will take place in different areas of the country as a way of fostering the awareness of EBM and its significance to the tax collection.

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