Submitted by SARSMedia | Edited: Anchen Coetzee

Tshwane, April 3 - The South African Revenue Service (SARS), together with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Border Management Authority (BMA), and Government Printing Works (GPW), took a giant step today to foster stronger and more integrated collaboration by signing cooperative agreements on modernisation and digitisation. A direct agreement was undertaken between SARS and DHA, which created a broad framework of collaboration between the parties.

These agreements are in line with the Digital Transformation of Government Roadmap, which the Cabinet approved on March 26. This is an important milestone which gives expression to the whole-of-government approach to deal with new and evolving challenges in digital identification and consequent fraud detection.

The first agreement was signed between the SARS Commissioner and the Director-General of DHA. This agreement revives the previous Direct Master Agreement, which has been the bedrock of the long-standing relationship between the parties, which began in 2010. SARS has played an important role to assist DHA to develop its own sophisticated IT systems. Today’s agreement will deepen collaboration on digital platforms to improve services and enhance data.

The second agreement was a multi-party memorandum of understanding between the DHA, SARS, BMA, and GPW. This represents a step forward to create the governance framework to enable, strengthen, and oversee the evolving strategic partnership between the signatories. SARS and the BMA have already been working toward greater alignment and closer collaboration. This important agreement helps to integrate SARS and BMA strategically and operationally.

Commissioner Kieswetter said that: “The agreements concluded today prove the success of a whole-of-government approach to tackle modern and sophisticated challenges that government faces. The opportunity to have a common platform dealing with a unique digital identity for individuals and entities will help government to ensure that there is only one identity through which the individual interacts with government. This unified platform will surely prevent double-dipping, such as when an individual receives a grant while they are in government employ. It will also build smart modern organisation that makes the movement of people seamlessly”

Livhuwani Makhode, DHA Director-General, expressed his delight at the revival of the agreement between DHA and SARS. He said: “This exceptional and reliable relationship with SARS, which has been existence since 2010, represents a right step in dealing with myriad challenges faced by Home Affairs. Creating a smart digital platform to achieve free movement of people while ensuring that undesirable individuals are detected will be a giant leap forward. Extensive use of digitisation, including the use of biometrics, is the way the department will operate. This collaboration will accelerate initiatives such as electronic travel-permits, digitisation of the naturalisation process, and implementing more efficient permanent-residency protocols”.

The BMA Commissioner Dr Masiapato commended the excellent collaboration between SARS and BMA. He said: “The multiparty agreement signed today will enhance the relationship that has already been in place with SARS. He underscored the importance of the use of digitisation process in ports of entry and border law enforcement areas. The existing vibrant relationship will benefit immensely from this agreement and create real value for travellers in and out of the country while enhancing the capability to stop the movement of illegal migrants”.

The CEO of Government Printing Works Ms Alinah Fosi said that it was an honour for her on behalf of GPW to form part of this multi-party agreement. She said: “GPW is part of the digital ecosystem, and this agreement will therefore assist the organisation with delivery on its mandate, and strategic role, and vision as a Certification Authority and Digital Trust Centre. GPW will serve the role of verification and certification of digital ID’s using e-government platforms to enable RSA citizens to access their service at a touch of a button using mobile technology as well. This is critical as the security of government documents will be ensured and trusted. Unquestionably the digitisation of documents not only enhance their security, but it will also assure their quality and authenticity thereby enabling travellers a safe and hassle-free travel especially when traveling in the continent and abroad”.