Ezulwini- The Kingdom of Eswatini is moving to tighten tax compliance and plug persistent revenue leakages through the rollout of a new electronic invoicing programme ” Taxcore Electronic Invoicing System,” aimed at strengthnening tax compliance.
Launched Monday, the initiative will allow the Eswatini Revenue Service to monitor business transactions in real time or near real time, marking one of the most ambitious digital reforms undertaken by the revenue authority in recent years.
Speaking during the launch, Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule described the system as a major shift toward smarter and more transparent tax collection, saying the technology would simplify compliance while improving the integrity of transaction data submitted by businesses.
“In real or near real time, as businesses do their business, the automation will significantly simplify compliance for businesses while improving accuracy and integrity of transaction data,” Nkambule said.
But beyond digitisation, the reform is aimed squarely at one of government’s biggest concerns, VAT leakages.Nkambule acknowledged that although consumers faithfully pay Value Added Tax when purchasing goods and services, not all of that money reaches the national treasury.
“One of the challenges we have observed is that not all the VAT collected from consumers by some businesses reaches government,” he said. “A customer may faithfully pay VAT when purchasing goods and services, but a portion of that money does not end up in the consolidated fund.”
Under the new system, consumers will also be empowered to verify whether the VAT they paid has actually been remitted to ERS, a feature authorities say introduces a new level of public 00accountability into the tax system.
The initiative is expected to strengthen enforcement against underreporting of income, sales suppression, and other forms of tax non-compliance that have long undermined fair competition within the economy.
Officials say compliant taxpayers and businesses are often disadvantaged when competitors evade taxes or fail to issue valid invoices. By automating reporting and increasing transaction visibility, ERS hopes to level the playing field while reducing the long-term cost of compliance for legitimate businesses.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg framed the reform as a national economic priority rather than simply an administrative upgrade.“The Government of the Kingdom continues to require significant resources to deliver on the socio-economic needs of our country,” Rijkenberg said. “Every year government must fund health, education, infrastructure, public safety, social protection, economic development, and many other national priorities.”
He added that a strong and sustainable domestic revenue base was essential if the country hoped to reduce pressure on borrowing while maintaining public service delivery.
“When tax revenue is collected efficiently and fairly, the country is better positioned to deliver services, invest in development, and reduce pressure on borrowing,” the minister said. Rijkenberg also acknowledged that Eswatini’s revenue system continues to experience significant leakages, describing them as ongoing challenges that ERS has been working to address and mitigate.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the ERS Board David Dlamini, also stressed that the success of the programme would depend on collaboration between government, businesses, and taxpayers, particularly during the implementation phase.
ERS has pledged continued engagement with the private sector through training, technical support, and phased adoption measures designed to ease the transition into the digital tax environment.
The rollout comes at a time when many African governments are accelerating the use of digital tools to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation amid rising fiscal pressures and growing development demands.
For Eswatini, the electronic invoicing system represents more than a technological upgrade. It is a strategic attempt to restore confidence in the tax system, improve transparency, and ensure that revenue collected in the economy ultimately reaches the national purse.
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