The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has announced that the Council will be introducing a new online Revenue Collection and Financial Management System (RCFMS) shortly.
This software, it was explained, is expected to significantly improve the Council’s Information Technology capabilities and financial accountability.
This is according to the Council’s Network Administrator Adunni Christian, and Richard Langford, Chief Executive Officer of Innosys, the company developing the RCFMS software.
“The RCFMS software when implemented will replace three previous software solutions that were not integrated, covering areas of the Council’s financial management which are tax collection, budget and reporting and other revenue collection,” they disclosed.
They explained that the RCFMS would be a “responsive web-based application”, meaning that users would be able to access it on smartphones, tablets and computers.
Christian related that City Hall’s customers were currently unable to conduct their business transactions or make simple enquires unless they visited the municipality’s offices. However, when the service is launched shortly, they will be able to access their entire business history online from the comfort of their homes. “They will see the proper history of their properties, payments made or location information,” he stated, adding that the implementation process is at a state where information from the old software is being carried over to the new system, and cross checks or parallel checks (runs) are being made.
He revealed that in order for the Council to better manage its customers’ information, the new system would include customers’ Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). He urged that citizens who plan to visit the Council to transact business walk with their TIN to be added to the system. “For us to properly identify taxpayers we are asking citizens to walk with their TIN so we can update our records,” he said, adding that the updated TIN would also assist citizens to easily access their records. “That helps to provide easy access to information on their properties,” he explained.
Langford noted that “as rates and taxes and other transactions are done, tests are being done to ensure the software follows basic double entry accounting principles”. He also revealed that the parallel runs are expected to last a few weeks, while employee training is being conducted.
Does that mean that Guyanese can pay their rates & taxes from overseas?
Well well certainly did not wanted the previous administration the PPP to look good, this latest announcement by these Johnny come lately was expected to take effect some ten years ago, The records are there for all to see. What is new at City Hall. The PNC Councillors and Officers always blocked the computerization at City Hall for their own reasons, lets see how this goes.