08 Mar 2020

The Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) confidential hotline platform has proven to be a tool that stakeholders and the public use to report maladministration, irregularities or impropriety in the organisation’s operations, says BURS commissioner general, Mr Segolo Lekau.   

Speaking at the hotline re-launch in Gaborone recently, Mr Lekau said during its operation since establishment in 2013, the organisation had received useful information that resulted in the recovery of unpaid taxes, seizure of undeclared goods, including drugs and disciplinary cases involving employees.

Mr Lekau said the facility remained one of the avenues through which the public could scrutinise BURS actions and dealings in discharging its mandate.

He said the establishment and continuous existence of the hotline facility affirmed transparency within the organisation.

“We are carrying out these efforts in realisation of the fact that public trust within a tax administration environment is the most sought after commodity. It goes without saying that if we do not allow ourselves to be questioned, we become a law unto ourselves.

Experience has, therefore, shown that organisations that attain these undesirable state of affairs are unable to serve the public diligently,” he stated.

Encouraging people not to fear exercising their right to seek redress in matters they felt BURS’ actions were not in accordance with the law, policies and procedures, Mr Lekau assured the public of protection under the 2016 Whistleblowing Act.

He pleaded with the public to heighten usage of the platform. “By so doing, the public will be playing a watchdog role. This will go a long way in assisting us to perform better in the discharge of our mandate and in maintaining the integrity of the revenue service,” said Mr Lekau.

Speaking on the importance and benefits of hotlines in the fight against corruption, Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime’s (DCEC) senior assistant director, Ms Mophutholodi Molatudi said a trusted confidential hotline was an essential line of defence.

She said it provided a flow of information that promoted business sustainability by helping to identify and rectify problems before they became larger, more costly or damaged hard-earned reputations.

“When employees and other third parties can blow the whistle on unethical conduct using an independent, professional service, your institution will enjoy greater peace of mind and legal compliance,” she said.

Ms Molatudi stressed the need to ensure anonymity in reporting, saying no matter how supportive the institutional culture was, circumstances that deterred people from reporting would arise.

She said the scope of reportable matters was not limited to reports of loss through fraud, theft or corruption, but also included environmental offences such as sexual harassment and human rights abuses. ENDS