30 Jan 2024

The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) is currently undergoing an organisational re-alignment exercise aimed at enhancing efficiency and effectiveness, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Talita Monnakgotla has said.

Ms Monnakgotla said the BURS would  therefore, not be able to upgrade services offered at the Molepolole and other satellite offices in the current financial year.

Ms Monnakgotla was responding to a question from Kgosi Mompoloki Motswagole of Molepolole Region, who had asked the minister to state when she would upgrade services for the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) at Molepolole in order to manage the lengthy queues as well as to reduce the long distance travelled to access services in Gaborone.

Ms Monnakgotla explained  that the realignment exercise was expected to address all the human resources gaps in critical areas of the Revenue Service, including the Molepolole office, indicating that the project had commenced and the consultants developing the organisational structure commenced their six months assignment in December 2023.

“The resourcing is planned to be completed within 12 months from the approval of the revised organisational structure,” she said.

Ms Monnakgotla further stated that most of the required services were available online hence providing an alternative way to access a wide range of services offered by the organisation.

Taxpayers were therefore encouraged to utilise online services including filing tax returns, making payments as well as applying for Tax Clearance Certificates, she said.

The assistant minister said such initiatives were in place to manage the long queues as well as to avoid having to travel to and from satellite BURS offices to Gaborone to access services. ENDS