Much of the international attention fell on artificial intelligence, geopolitical uncertainty and the future of development finance. Nevertheless, the discussions also exposed a more immediate concern for ministries of finance: how to make existing public resources work harder and strengthen the institutions responsible for raising them.

For Data Tech International (DTI), the conclusions from Bangkok reinforce a practical argument about domestic revenue mobilization. Improving the collection of taxes already established in law is among the most accessible sources of additional fiscal capacity. Digital reform can accelerate that process, provided governments choose proven technology, develop local expertise and concentrate their efforts on the administrative changes that produce measurable results.

5 Takeaways from IMF/WB Meetings in Bangkok 2026

1. Fiscal buffers are running out, so governments must enhance revenues rather than rely on more borrowing or higher tax rates, improving the efficiency of existing tax systems is the most accessible route.
2. Building complex fiscalization technology from scratch carries hidden, long-term costs (security, maintenance, staff, legislative updates). Proven commercial off-the-shelf systems like TaxCore reduce implementation risk and speed up compliance gains.
3. Better tax administration starts with reliable transaction records, consistent reporting, and effective verification, these make VAT administration more efficient and enable risk-based enforcement.
4. Capacity building is not optional. Technology investments only pay off when tax officers and local technical teams are trained to operate systems, interpret data, and support taxpayers.
5. Institutional capacity creates fiscal capacity. The most important measure of digital tax reform is whether it strengthens a government’s ability to collect revenue already due under the law, and sooner reliable reporting becomes operational, the faster compliance improves.

Bangkok’s Fiscal Warning: Governments Are Running Out of Room

On October 14, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that the global economy’s resilience was reaching its limits. Speaking at the Global Policy Agenda press briefing, she described the depletion of fiscal and energy buffers as governments confronted persistent inflation and successive economic shocks.

Her message to policymakers was, as always, very direct: “Now is the time to enhance revenues.” The urgency reflected an increasingly difficult fiscal environment. Debt-service obligations are absorbing resources that could otherwise finance infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic development. For lower-income countries, the consequences are especially severe.

The implications for revenue authorities are considerable too. Governments cannot rely indefinitely on additional borrowing, external assistance or higher tax rates to meet their obligations. Improving the efficiency of existing tax systems offers another route. Stronger compliance, more complete reporting and reliable evidence of taxable economic activity can contribute to sustainable revenue growth while supporting fairer competition.

The WB Bangkok 2026 Message: Make Scarce Resources Go Further

2026 Bangkok Annual Meetings plenary brought an equally relevant perspective from World Bank President Ajay Banga. His address examined how governments and development institutions could increase the impact of limited resources while supporting employment, investment and economic growth.

Banga pointed to reforms within the World Bank itself, including a reduction in project preparation time from 19 months to nine. He also stressed the importance of physical and human infrastructure, regulatory certainty and institutional capacity. According to his official plenary remarks, 30% of the institution’s public-sector financing during the previous year supported policy and institutional reform.

For DTI, this emphasis on efficiency and execution has direct relevance to national fiscalization programmes. Public administrations routinely face decisions about whether to develop technology internally or acquire established solutions. Project duration, implementation risk and institutional readiness deserve the same attention as acquisition costs. Every additional year spent developing a system delays the potential compliance improvements that justified the investment.

Better Taxation Begins with Better Administration

The fiscal argument gained further substance when Rodrigo Valdés, Director of the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, addressed the Fiscal Monitor press briefing in Bangkok.

“Fiscal risks are rising and action is needed in many countries,” he told reporters. His recommendations included improving tax systems, strengthening fiscal institutions and adopting better-designed policies capable of supporting economic activity while safeguarding public revenue.

The IMF’s October 2026 Fiscal Monitor: Taxing Better to Boost Growth develops this argument through research on tax neutrality, administrative efficiency and compliance costs. For indirect taxation, the implications reach into the everyday operations of revenue authorities. Reliable transaction records, consistent reporting requirements and effective verification can make VAT administration more efficient. These improvements also provide a stronger foundation for risk-based enforcement.

The Overlooked Cost of Building Technology from Scratch

National tax administrations have legitimate reasons to exercise control over their digital infrastructure. Nevertheless, creating complex fiscalization technology internally requires substantial financial resources, specialist personnel and sustained institutional commitment. Software development represents only one part of the obligation.

Governments must also finance security, testing, integrations, maintenance, documentation and continuous adaptation to legislative changes. Public-sector development teams face competition for experienced specialists, while changes in leadership and budget priorities can affect project continuity. The accumulated costs may extend far beyond initial estimates.

This issue predates Bangkok. The IMF’s technical guidance on commercial off-the-shelf systems describes the organizational demands of introducing established software into tax administrations. Its lessons support careful consideration of COTS for tax administration, including governance, migration, testing and business-process reform. The guidance concerns core tax systems, although many implementation principles also apply to fiscalization. DTI’s conclusion is that governments should reserve bespoke development for requirements that genuinely demand it.

TaxCore – a Practical Example of COTS Fiscalization

DTI’s TaxCore platform was developed to support the certification, monitoring and verification of fiscal transactions. Its established architecture combines secure invoice records, digital signatures and reporting mechanisms with administrative tools for supervision and compliance analysis. National implementations demonstrate how common technology can operate within different regulatory environments. In Fiji, the VAT Monitoring System uses TaxCore to support fiscal reporting. In September 2025, the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, working with DTI, introduced a public monitoring dashboard providing information on fiscalized taxpayers, transactions, invoice volumes and receipt verification. The initiative also enables citizens to report suspected irregularities.

These functions illustrate a broader approach to domestic revenue mobilisation. Better information allows administrations to direct enforcement resources more effectively and gives compliant businesses greater protection against unfair competition. TaxCore provides the technological foundation for these activities, while national authorities determine the rules, implementation priorities and enforcement measures.

Capacity Building Determines Whether Reform Endures

Bangkok’s emphasis on human capital carries an important lesson for digital government. During the October 16 plenary, Banga observed that “Skills are part of the package.” Technology investments require trained people who can operate systems, manage information and apply the results to practical decisions.

For DTI, capacity building is integral to fiscalization reform. Tax officers need to interpret transaction records, investigate irregularities and support taxpayers. Local technical teams must understand the platform’s operational requirements, integrations and continuity procedures. Sustainable reform depends on institutions that can perform these responsibilities confidently.

A recent example comes from Eswatini. In September 2026, DTI conducted a two-week TaxCore training programme for Eswatini Revenue Service personnel in Belgrade. Participants completed practical exercises covering enrolment, secure-element management, inspection, accreditation and reporting. The programme equipped local staff for responsibilities associated with the national rollout, illustrating how implementation expertise can be transferred to the administration that will ultimately operate the system.

Bangkok 2026: Institutional Capacity Creates Fiscal Capacity

The 2026 Bangkok Annual Meetings offered a clear warning about the condition of public finances. Countries must manage growing demands on their budgets while improving economic resilience and creating opportunities for development. Domestic revenue mobilization will remain central to that task.

Summit’s message was that public resources must deliver more. For revenue authorities and ministries of finance, the opportunity begins with making better use of what they already have: established tax legislation, capable public institutions, and proven technology that can help them fulfil their responsibilities.

The most important measure of a digital tax reform is its contribution to public administration. A system must provide reliable evidence, enable effective enforcement, support taxpayers and strengthen the government’s ability to collect revenue already due under the law. Sooner reliable reporting becomes operational, faster will governments begin turning better compliance into stronger, more sustainable national finances.

The post Bangkok 2026: Fiscal Reforms Need Proven Technology appeared first on Dti.

The signing also carries wider significance. Across the Pacific, tax administrations are paying closer attention to VAT and GST at the level where liability first arises: the transaction itself. Tonga now joins Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea in DTI’s Pacific TaxCore footprint, extending a regional pattern that is becoming harder to dismiss as a series of isolated technology projects. 

For small island economies, the attraction is obvious. Revenue authorities work with limited specialist resources, taxpayers may be spread across difficult geographies, and reliable connectivity cannot always be taken for granted. At the same time, governments need better visibility over consumption taxes, which often account for a substantial share of domestic revenue. Accordingly, the Tonga contract deserves attention beyond the mechanics of software procurement. It forms part of a gradual shift towards fiscal systems in which verified transaction data can support tax administration much closer to the point of sale. 

5 Key Facts on Tonga’s Fiscalization

First, the Tonga contract has regional significance. The implementation of TaxCore adds another Pacific jurisdiction to a growing movement towards digital fiscalization and closer VAT and GST monitoring. 

Second, Tonga is building on existing experience. Its current ESRS means the country already understands electronic sales registration. Migration and continuity will therefore be central to the next phase. 

Third, TaxCore has developed a meaningful Pacific footprint. Tonga joins Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, creating a regional base of implementation experience that can inform future deployments. 

Fourth, the POS ecosystem matters. A broader field of accredited providers can give Tonga’s taxpayers more choice while preserving common rules for fiscal information. 

Finally, Tonga fiscalization points towards a deeper model of tax administration. Transaction-level evidence can support faster VAT monitoring, more targeted enforcement and increasingly continuous forms of fiscal control. 

From Electronic Registers to Transaction-Level Control 

Tonga already has experience with electronic sales registration. That matters because the country is approaching modernization with an existing body of operational knowledge. Taxpayers know the basic discipline of recording sales electronically, while officials have experience administering such a system. 

Experience also creates expectations. Businesses have established routines, software providers have built products around existing requirements, and public officials have developed procedures that cannot simply be discarded without consequence. The quality of the transition will depend heavily on how well these existing practices are accommodated. 

Consequently, the next stage of Tonga fiscalization is about deepening the role of transaction data. A modern fiscalization system can link the sale, the fiscal invoice and the tax record in a structured chain. Once those records are secure and verifiable, the administration gains a much clearer view of what takes place inside the taxable economy. This changes the value of the electronic invoice itself. Its importance lies in the information it carries and in the ability of that information to support VAT control, audit selection and compliance analysis. The fiscal invoice becomes part of the evidence on which the tax system operates. 

Tonga Fiscalization: TaxCore Gains a Regional Centre of Gravity 

The geography of TaxCore’s Pacific deployments is increasingly significant. Five jurisdictions using the same underlying fiscalization platform create a body of regional implementation experience that can shape future projects, even where legislation and administrative models differ substantially. 

For smaller governments, this can improve the economics of technology adoption. Designing every component of a national fiscalization system from the ground up requires considerable investment and specialised expertise. A platform with an established implementation history can provide a more mature starting point while leaving room for national rules and local operating requirements. Meanwhile, the Pacific itself is a demanding proving ground. Revenue authorities must support large companies, small retailers and businesses operating far from major urban centres. Internet access may be reliable in one location and intermittent in another. Systems therefore need to combine central oversight with practical resilience. 

Regional experience becomes especially valuable under these conditions. Lessons about onboarding, offline operation, taxpayer communication, POS integration and enforcement can travel between jurisdictions, even when the policy choices remain national. 

TaxCore’s growing footprint therefore gives DTI something technology suppliers value greatly: experience accumulated under similar administrative conditions. Tonga, in turn, gains access to a platform that has already encountered many of the practical problems common across the region. 

Tonga Fiscalization Moves from Signature to Implementation 

A contract signing is a visible milestone. Implementation will determine whether the reform delivers what policymakers expect from it. Tonga must now align technical specifications, taxpayer procedures, legislation, vendor requirements, training and public communication. Each workstream affects the others. A technically sound platform will struggle if taxpayers do not understand their obligations, while clear legal requirements are difficult to enforce when businesses lack suitable tools to comply. 

Crucially, migration deserves particular attention because Tonga already operates an ESRS. Existing users need a clear route into the new environment. Data continuity, business processes and established compliance habits should be managed carefully throughout that change. 

Timing will matter as well. POS accreditation needs to develop alongside taxpayer enrolment. Technical readiness must correspond with legal readiness. Training should arrive before obligations begin to affect day-to-day operations. 

The eventual measure of Tonga fiscalization will therefore be practical. As elsewhere, it will depend on the share of relevant transactions captured reliably, the quality of the data available to the Ministry and the ease with which compliant businesses can meet their obligations. 

A More Open POS Market 

One of the more important features of the future model is the intention to accommodate a broader range of point-of-sale and invoicing providers. This could reshape the commercial side of fiscal compliance in Tonga. 

Businesses have very different operating needs. A family-run shop, a resort, a professional-services firm and a large importer may all fall within the same tax framework, nevertheless their software requirements can vary considerably. Allowing accredited providers to compete gives taxpayers greater freedom to choose tools suited to their scale and business model. 

Furthermore, an open ecosystem can attract POS and accounting vendors already active elsewhere in the Pacific. For those companies, clear accreditation standards create a defined route into the Tongan market. For taxpayers, additional competition can encourage better service, broader functionality and more appropriate pricing. The state retains an important role in setting the boundaries. Technical specifications, fiscal rules, invoice security and data integrity still need to be consistent across every approved solution. 

Accreditation is therefore central to the model. Commercial diversity becomes possible because every participating system must satisfy the same fiscal requirements. That gives the market room to innovate while preserving a common standard for tax data. 

Why VAT Monitoring is Ultimately About Evidence 

Fiscalization is frequently presented as a revenue-collection tool. Better transaction visibility can indeed make under-reporting more difficult and help authorities identify businesses whose declared activity appears inconsistent with their actual sales. 

The deeper value lies in the evidence created by the system. VAT depends on transactions passing through chains of buyers and sellers. Reliable invoices provide the records needed to examine those chains and compare them with the tax positions reported by businesses. In turn, stronger transaction data can make enforcement more focused. Auditors can direct attention towards unusual patterns, missing records or discrepancies rather than relying predominantly on broad inspections and retrospective declarations. 

The effect can also reach beyond enforcement. Businesses that record their sales correctly have an interest in competitors being held to the same standard. Greater visibility can reduce the commercial advantage enjoyed by firms that conceal turnover or operate partly outside the formal economy. Technology still depends on sound legislation, capable institutions and sensible taxpayer service. Yet when those elements are in place, reliable transaction data gives each of them a firmer foundation. 

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Todorov leaned forward, his tone warm. “Hello Mr. Brightwell, welcome to Serbia and welcome to Data Tech International.” Mr. Nkambule returned the greeting with measured courtesy. “Thank you and good morning, Goran. Thank you for welcoming me here at DTI in Serbia.”

The conversation that followed was not about technology for its own sake. It was about the stubborn realities that had long limited Eswatini’s revenue potential and the path now opening beyond them.

5 Key Conclusions From Brightwell Nkambule Interview

1. TaxCore Turns Compliance into the Path of Least Resistance. The system was chosen not only to detect underreporting and the informal economy, but to make compliance easier and cheaper than non-compliance, especially for smaller businesses previously burdened by high costs of accountants and complex returns.
2. Digital Foundations Were Already Delivering Results. Before TaxCore, earlier digital tools had already lifted voluntary compliance from 60% to 72%, raised the Net Promoter Score to 75%, and improved the tax-to-GDP ratio from 15.7% to 16.5%, proving technology works when it genuinely reduces friction.
3. Real-Time Reporting Solves the High-Volume Retail Problem. Previous VAT reporting methods collapsed under the weight of thousands of daily transactions. TaxCore automatically captures and transmits every business-to-consumer sale as it happens, eliminating the need for manual schedules or daily summaries.
4. It Closes Fraud Loopholes and Empowers Citizens. The biggest leakage occurred in cash-heavy business-to-consumer sales and “cooked” invoices linked to under-declaration at the border. TaxCore captures every transaction at source and allows consumers to verify that the VAT they paid truly reaches the revenue service.
5. The Ultimate Goal Is Compliance by Default. Commissioner General Nkambule’s vision mirrors Pay-As-You-Earn: taxpayers should focus entirely on growing their businesses while technology silently handles tax obligations. Higher compliance strengthens government finances, improves public services, reduces poverty, and creates jobs, making the real winners the citizens of Eswatini.

The Weight of What Went Unseen

Before TaxCore, the challenges were familiar and persistent. Underreporting of sales was widespread. Entire segments of the informal economy simply did not report at all. For smaller businesses, the cost of compliance, accountants, consultants, complex returns, often outweighed the perceived benefit of staying inside the system.

“We had a whole range of issues,” Brightwell Nkambule explained. “One of them was underreporting of sales, and then the other was no reporting at all, this is what we sometimes call the informal economy. We decided we must opt for solutions that will reduce the risk of underreporting and also make it very easy for taxpayers that may be in the informal economy to comply.”

The solution had to do more than catch non-compliance. It had to lower the barrier so that compliance became the path of least resistance.

Progress Already Measured

Eswatini’s Commissioner General did not arrive empty-handed. Under his leadership, and building on years of earlier work, the Eswatini Revenue Service had already introduced a range of digital tools aimed at making voluntary compliance easier. The results were tangible.

Voluntary compliance, measured by on-time filing and payment, had risen from around 60 percent in 2022 to 72 percent in the latest financial year. The Net Promoter Score, tracking how willing taxpayers were to recommend the service, had climbed to 75 percent. The tax-to-GDP ratio had improved from roughly 15.7 percent to 16.5 percent.

“Technological solutions actually have an impact,” Nkambule noted. The foundations were in place. What was still missing was a system capable of capturing the full flow of transactions, especially in the high-volume retail sector that had proven hardest to police.

Brightwell Nkambule: The Game Changer Arrives

TaxCore is still early in its implementation, still the ERS head already sees it as transformative. He traced the evolution of VAT reporting in Eswatini. Introduced in 2012 with a simple one-line return, the system soon revealed serious underreporting. In 2022 the authority introduced invoice schedules, which improved performance, until the sheer volume of daily transactions overwhelmed retailers. A compromise was reached: daily sales totals instead of line-by-line detail. The figures began slipping again.

“TaxCore will come in and say that the problem of voluminous transactions has been solved,” Nkambule said, “because this solution will automatically report the transactions to us as and when they occur. So, it’s going to be a game changer.”

The wholesale and retail sector currently sits below expected thresholds. The VAT-to-turnover ratio, which should sit between 1 and 3 percent, has in places fallen below zero, a sector effectively operating on net refunds because outputs are not fully declared. Real-time transmission changes the equation. Every business-to-business and business-to-consumer transaction becomes visible. The technology does the reporting. The taxpayer simply runs the business.

For smaller and informal operators, the barrier drops even further. A one-time investment in a simple device or free software on an existing phone or computer is enough. After that, the system records, stores, and transmits. “There’s nothing to submit anymore,” he observed. “The technology will be doing all the work.”

Closing the Gaps That Fraud Exploits

The most stubborn leak has been business-to-consumer sales. Retailers could under-declare or omit cash transactions because the revenue authority had no independent view. Some went further, linking under-declaration at the border with under-declaration at the point of sale, “cooking” the invoices to match.

TaxCore severs that chain. Every transaction is captured at source. Consumers themselves can verify that the VAT they paid has reached the tax office. Nkambule is confident many will. “A big portion of our citizens are responsible. They want to contribute to the development of the country… We see them stepping forward to ensure that this VAT that they pay ends up with the tax office.”

A Message of Ease, Not Fear

Asked what message he would send home to taxpayers in Eswatini after seeing the system working in Serbia and Republika Srpska, Commissioner General was clear. The solution benefits the country. The VAT citizens already pay will finally reach the revenue service. The cost of compliance will fall sharply after a modest upfront step. The system, once running, is low maintenance, “much like our mobile phones. Once you have a mobile phone, all you need to take care of is the battery.”

For the smallest businesses, free applications that run on existing phones or computers remove even that modest barrier. Compliance becomes accessible rather than burdensome.

Brightwell Nkambule Sees the Larger Picture

In Eswatini, the next chapter is already being written, not in threats or heavier audits, but in a silent promise: that honest businesses will one day spend almost no time thinking about tax at all. What excites him most is not the technology itself, but what it unlocks. Higher compliance strengthens government finances. Stronger finances improve public services. Better services accelerate national development, reduce poverty, and create jobs.

He draws a parallel with Pay-As-You-Earn. Employees do not file monthly; the system handles compliance by default. TaxCore points toward the same destination for VAT and broader reporting: taxpayers concentrate on growing their businesses while the technology quietly does the rest.

“The country develops, poverty is reduced, jobs are increased, everyone is happy after that,” Nkambule concluded. The technology will simply make compliance the default. And when that happens, the real beneficiaries will not be the revenue service alone, but the citizens whose development depends on every tax that finally arrives where it belongs.

The post Brightwell Nkambule: Taxcore Is a Breakthrough appeared first on Dti.

In 2020, as Covid-19 slammed borders shut and governments slashed budgets, Amosa’s team at Samoa’s Ministry of Customs and Revenue launched the Tax Invoice Monitoring System (TIMS) built on DTI’s TaxCore. Many doubted whether digital fiscalization could thrive in a cash-based economy. Today, the numbers tell a different tale: revenue collection has nearly doubled.

Todorov leaned forward, his tone warm yet incisive. “Theresa, welcome to Serbia. We are so pleased to have you here.” He wanted to revisit the heart of the matter, the revenue impact. “You implemented TIMS right at the outbreak of Covid-19. You mentioned it had a measurable effect. Was that impact immediate, or did it build over time? When exactly did you begin to see revenue grow?”

Amosa answered without hesitation, her voice steady with hard-won insight. “We launched in 2020 amid economic uncertainty and fiscal pressure. In terms of revenue growth, we started noticing it around two to three years after implementation.” But something far more telling happened first.

5 Conclusions on Samoa Tax Revenue Growth

1. Deterrence Beats Enforcement: Simply knowing the TIMS powered by TaxCore was watching changed taxpayer behaviour immediately. Samoa’s Parliament cut revenue targets by 10%, yet collections dropped only 1% in the first year of COVID, proving anticipation of visibility drives compliance more powerfully than penalties.
2. People First, Technology Second: With over 6,000 taxpayers and just ten auditors, success came from cultural sensitivity. Amosa’s team used everyday Samoan language, offered free smartphone POS apps, and personally advised businesses before purchases, turning confusion into cooperation.
3. Flexibility Wins Vendor Challenges Instead of rushing penalties, the ministry showed patience with slow or expensive vendors. Creative workarounds, like manual tablet loading for major taxpayers, kept businesses compliant while DTI helped ensure fair pricing.
4. Real-Time Data Transforms Auditing: TIMS eliminated months-long manual checks. Auditors now compare live TaxCore data against declarations, quickly catch under-reporting, calculate liabilities for non-filers, and shift the burden of proof to taxpayers.
5. Cultural Understanding Drives Lasting Success: Amosa wouldn’t change a thing: respecting Samoa’s cash-based culture and close-knit community was essential. The result? Nearly doubled revenue in five years, with plans for pre-filled returns and full automation built on strong public-private trust.

The Power of Anticipation

Before the numbers climbed, a subtle shift transformed behaviour. Taxpayers realized their sales would now stand visible and monitored. That awareness alone changed how they declared income.

“There was a behavioural change, a deterrence effect,” Amosa explained. “Just the taxpayers’ anticipation that their sales would be more visible really changed their behaviour in terms of declaring the right amount of sales.”

Samoa’s Parliament had braced for disaster, cutting the ministry’s revenue targets by 10 percent. Instead, core taxes collected by Inland Revenue Services fell by only one percent. Amosa’s eyes lit up with quiet wonder as she recalled the moment. “Can you believe that? The system had not even needed to catch anyone. The mere knowledge that it was watching proved enough.”

This early deterrence bought precious time. Real, sustained Samoa tax revenue growth followed. By the five-year mark, the ministry collected nearly double what it had before TIMS. The technology worked, but only because people embraced it.

The Human Side of Digital Transformation

Seasoned tax officials know the truth: technology is never the hardest part, people are. Samoa counts more than 6,000 taxpayers, but its audit team numbers barely over ten. When TIMS went live, business owners felt bewildered. Would they need expensive new equipment? What if their point-of-sale systems failed? What if they lacked reliable internet?

Amosa’s team responded with pragmatism and deep cultural understanding. They translated complicated requirements into clear, everyday Samoan. They created awareness materials that matched accredited solutions to specific industries. Most importantly, they invited taxpayers to talk before buying anything.

“The last thing we need is a wrong path,” Amosa said. Her team even offered a free POS application that worked on smartphones and tablets.

Todorov listened with clear admiration. “You really went the distance to consult taxpayers about what they need to do. In many other countries, especially with larger taxpayer bases, this is not a practice tax authorities would follow.”

Amosa nodded. “We always encourage them, before they actually purchase an EFD, to come and talk to us to make sure they are on the right path.” She smiled at the memory. “We translated it into simple everyday language using our own Samoan language just to explain to them that it’s nothing completely new. To them, it’s all about finding the right solution.”

In a close-knit island nation where relationships matter, this personal touch proved fundamental. It turned potential resistance into cooperation.

Overcoming the Vendor Bottleneck

Taxpayers formed only half the challenge. Vendors supplying electronic fiscal devices created another persistent hurdle. Some quoted “ridiculously high prices” for accreditation. Others moved slowly, especially when Samoa represented just one small client.

Lacking in-house developers, the ministry relied on DTI’s expertise to judge whether costs were fair. One memorable case involved one of Samoa’s top ten taxpayers. Their unique system had no other users in the country, and the overseas vendor showed little urgency to certify compliance.

Amosa found a practical solution. The business installed tablets running the web invoicing app and loaded products manually while awaiting full integration. “We managed to load their products onto these tablets,” she recalled. “The tablets were provided by the taxpayer, so that was evidence that they were willing to comply. It’s just that the vendor support was causing the delay.”

Double entry created temporary inconvenience, but it kept the business compliant. When Todorov asked about possible collusion between taxpayers and vendors, Amosa shook her head firmly. “No, I wouldn’t say so. I think in a lot of the cases, it came down to delays from the vendors.”

The ministry chose patience over punishment. “We were actually very flexible,” Amosa noted. “Yes, there are penalties in the legislation, but we were not quick to apply these penalties because we wanted to first make sure that we exhausted all avenues to facilitate compliance.”

Samoa Tax Revenue Growth: Data That Sees What Eyes Cannot

Before TIMS, auditors worked largely in the dark. Self-assessed declarations often took months, or more than a year, to verify. Now, evidence flows in real time. At the end of each VAT/GST period, the ministry runs a tax-charged report on TaxCore and compares it directly against taxpayer declarations.

“There has been a lot of cases of under-reporting,” Amosa admitted candidly. Discrepancies emerged quickly. At first, officials simply asked businesses to pay the difference. When patterns repeated, penalties followed.

Todorov observed how the system removed the need for physical visits. Amosa agreed wholeheartedly. “Now, with TIMS, our team and our staff don’t need to go out and try to look for it; the evidence is right there. The responsibility falls on the taxpayer to come and explain this discrepancy.”

The system also tackled non-filers elegantly. Previously, officials made default assessments by comparing similar businesses. Today, data arrives directly from transactions as they happen. “Even if they don’t declare their tax returns,” Amosa explained, “because you’ve got that data transmitted directly from the source… you can make immediate calculations on their tax liability.”

The Public Becomes Partner

No system is entirely cheat-proof. Fraudulent QR codes sometimes appeared as “weird looking characters” on receipts. The ministry deployed mystery shoppers and launched television campaigns to raise awareness.

Most powerfully, ordinary citizens began reporting violations. “We actually have members of the general public reporting to us,” Amosa said with evident satisfaction, “saying, ‘I went to this store, I know they’re supposed to give me a physical invoice, but I got nothing instead.’”

Officials considered whistleblower rewards but paused due to conflict-of-interest concerns in such a small administration. They continue seeking the right approach.

Samoa Tax Revenue Growth: A Future of Automation and Understanding

Six years on, the journey continues. The ministry now pursues deeper integration between TaxCore and its core revenue management system. The vision includes pre-filled returns, automated calculations, and far less manual work.

“We want to automate as much as possible and reduce the risk of human error,” Amosa said. “We want to free up the staff from having to do that manual work and for them to focus more on value-added work, just analysing the data and identifying case studies.”

Todorov asked whether the ultimate aim involved presenting taxpayers with a clear bill of sales and purchases. “Yes!” Amosa replied enthusiastically. She emphasised alignment with broader goals of public-private partnership and cultural sensitivity.

When asked if she would change anything about the rollout, Amosa remained resolute. “I wouldn’t do anything different. When you’re introducing fiscalization to a small island nation that was highly cash-based, you have to really factor in the culture of the taxpayers.”

Todorov concluded with genuine warmth, gesturing around the Belgrade headquarters that had supported this transformation. “Theresa, it’s been a wonderful journey for these past six years. We have supported your ministry throughout all this time, and we are looking forward to the future, to get to the point where you become maybe one of the first world’s fully automated tax administrations.”

Amosa smiled. “The challenge is to collect the good data. You have the good data. Now we need all the other things that are maybe expensive but worth it.”

Samoa’s fiscal innovation continues, yet its lessons already resonate far beyond the Pacific. Advanced technology opens the door, but human understanding, flexibility, patience, and cultural respect, ushers people through it. In an age of ambitious digital promises, this small island nation has shown that lasting compliance grows not from threats, but from trust. The Pacific may lie far away, but its example now travels the world.

The post Samoa Tax Revenue Growth Nearly Doubled appeared first on Dti.

The foundation of this collaboration is our proven experience and results over years of work in fiscal modernization. DTI has consistently delivered its solution that enhanced transparency and reduced the compliance burden on businesses. Eswatini now stands to become a benchmark that other African nations will have an opportunity to study closely. We approach this project with humility, knowing that lasting success depends on close teamwork, not just good technology. Particular thanks go to ERS leadership, whose bold vision and steady commitment made this kick-off possible.

System implementation will follow a structured, phased approach. At first, the current Inception phase refines the technical blueprint and legal framework. Initial Capacity Building installs the system in a staging environment and trains the first user cohorts. Full Operational Capability activates the complete platform in production. Final Acceptance delivers a fully validated, independently verified solution. Equally important, the focus during each stage remains on practical readiness: secure configuration, seamless integration with existing systems, comprehensive staff training, and documentation that makes the system approachable for tax officers and businesses alike.

Key Takeaways

1. A Continental First: TaxCore’s deployment in Eswatini marks the platform’s first full implementation on the African continent, positioning the country as a potential model for tax modernization across the region.

2. Tamper-Proof by Design: Every transaction is certified at the point of sale through an electronic signature generated by a secure element that operates independently of the business invoicing system. This separation is what makes the system structurally resistant to manipulation..

3. Verification for Everyone: Compliance checks require no specialized knowledge or equipment. Any inspector can verify a document on the spot, while online verification services give both authorities and the general public the ability to authenticate records at any time.

4. Built for a Fair Market: Compliance requirements are fully transparent, allowing any technology supplier to build a compatible solution. Businesses of all sizes and sectors are accommodated, and no single vendor holds a structural advantage.

5. Real Revenue Impact: Eswatini faces a meaningful tax gap rooted in under-declared transactions. Comparable deployments have delivered VAT collection increases of 8% to 48% in targeted sectors. With every sale independently certified at the source, under-reporting becomes structurally difficult rather than merely discouraged.

Eswatini Implements TaxCore: From Years of Vision to Today’s Launch

Interest in modern VAT monitoring and fiscalization in Eswatini has been building for years. Moreover, the Eswatini Revenue Service has shown consistent vision and determination, steadily advancing toward a modern, transparent tax system through careful public procurement. Discussions began back in 2015–2016 and evolved through several formal Expressions of Interest and tender initiatives focused on Electronic Fiscal Devices and broader digital tax monitoring solutions.

Henceforth, this clear and persistent policy direction reached an important milestone with the Request for Proposals issued in May 2025. Data Tech International actively participated in the competitive evaluation process, which included detailed technical assessments and site visits to live TaxCore deployments in other countries. Following this thorough and professional evaluation, DTI was selected as the successful bidder.

Today, that patient journey of preparation turns into reality. We are proud to begin the official implementation and deliver a solution that will bring real benefits to Eswatini.

TaxCore: Closing the Tax Gap in Real Time

At its essence, TaxCore functions as a real-time fiscal monitoring system built on one clear principle: every payment document must contain complete transactional data so the system can verify correct tax calculation and prevent any manipulation. A dedicated secure element, independent of the business invoicing system, achieves this by applying an electronic signature to every transaction at the moment it occurs. The separation of these two components is deliberate and fundamental. It ensures that no single party controls both the business logic and the integrity seal, which is what makes the system genuinely tamper-proof rather than merely compliant on paper.

Generally, this architecture does not impose a one-size-fits-all solution on businesses. The secure element and invoicing system can operate as separate products or as a fully integrated unit, and the system ensures that producing a certified document introduces no delay to normal business operations. Every document clearly identifies its issuer, and in business-to-business transactions, the system equally protects the identity of the purchasing party with an electronic signature, safeguarding both sides of the transaction from any unauthorized modification.

Deployments across Europe and the Pacific have produced consistent results, including higher voluntary compliance, reduced revenue leakage, and meaningful increases in tax collection without any change to tax rates. Eswatini will draw directly on those proven capabilities.

Inspection Without Bureaucracy

One of TaxCore’s defining strengths is how it handles verification. A tax inspector in the field does not need sophisticated technical knowledge or specialized equipment to confirm that a document is authentic. At this point, the integrity of any payment document can be checked immediately and on the spot, making routine compliance verification fast and practical. For deeper audits, authorized personnel follow a unified inspection method that extracts transaction data from the secure element, preferably in encrypted form, through a standardized process that works consistently across all businesses.

Beyond official inspection, verification services are available online and through multiple channels, so that both authorities and members of the public can authenticate documents at any time. The system makes electronic journal records accessible in human-readable form, either through the invoicing system or via a secure data collector, ensuring that transparency extends beyond those with technical expertise.

A Level Playing Field and a Better Experience

TaxCore is also designed with the broader market in mind. Compliance requirements are fully transparent, meaning any technology supplier can build a compatible solution and compete fairly. Furthermore, a wide variety of invoicing system models is supported to accommodate businesses of different sizes, sectors, and operational needs. The system does not favor any particular vendor or create barriers that concentrate the market.

For businesses and citizens, the day-to-day experience is straightforward: payment documents, whether printed or electronic, present tax information clearly and unambiguously to the customer. There is no fine print, no ambiguity about what was charged and why.

Eswatini Implements TaxCore: Why This Matters?

Eswatini currently faces a tax gap driven largely by under-declared transactions. TaxCore addresses this directly. Because the system certifies every sale at the source and signs it independently, it not only discourages under-reporting but makes it structurally difficult. At the same time, the system’s simplicity and accessibility make honest compliance the path of least resistance for businesses that want to operate cleanly.

The numbers from comparable deployments speak for themselves: jurisdictions implementing similar fiscalization platforms have recorded VAT collection increases of between 8% and 48% in targeted sectors, with broader improvements in tax-to-GDP ratios as digital tools widen the base and reduce administrative friction.

Finally, DTI is proud to support Eswatini on this path. We are confident that a successful implementation here will carry weight well beyond the country’s borders, and we intend to earn that outcome every step of the way.

The post Eswatini Implements TaxCore – Game Changer Arrives! appeared first on Dti.

The visit coincided with a significant milestone as the project had just completed its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) phase. This phase represents a critical step toward the system’s Full Operational Capability (FOC), the stage when the VSMS will be fully operational and capable of monitoring sales across the country.

During the briefing, the DCIR team, in collaboration with Data Tech International (DTI), presented a detailed update demonstrating that the system is ready to move into the next stage. Officials highlighted the steady pace of implementation and the system’s capacity to enhance oversight in the national tax process.

The presence of the nation’s top leaders accentuated the government’s commitment to advancing digital tools for more effective tax administration. Their visit emphasized both political support and public accountability for this high-priority initiative.

System Objectives and Achievements

Ms. Maja Miodragović, DTI Account Manager, showcased the VSMS’s achievements to date, highlighting the system’s core objectives. These include reducing tax fraud and under-reporting, strengthening tax compliance, maximizing revenue collection, promoting transparency, and supporting fair competition among businesses.

The briefing highlighted how registration and accreditation activities are advancing steadily, bringing more businesses into the system. These efforts demonstrate the VSMS’s ability to integrate with existing structures while preparing for broader implementation across sectors.

Furthermore, officials presented measurable progress in each area, indicating that the system is on track to meet its design goals. The collaboration between DCIR and DTI has been focal to achieving these objectives, combining technical expertise with operational oversight.

This stage of the project reflects the government’s dedication to transforming Vanuatu’s tax system and preparing for a fully operational, digital monitoring platform.

VSMS by TaxCore: Government Endorsement and Next Steps

Both the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance expressed their satisfaction with the progress achieved. They publicly commended the strong partnership between DCIR and DTI, framing the project as a transformative initiative for Vanuatu’s fiscal administration.

“I commend the joint efforts of DTI and DCIR,” the Prime Minister said. “I am enthusiastic about the upcoming phases and eager to see the first results. We look forward to Vanuatu’s continued progress toward digital transformation.”

Finally, the visit concluded with a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to digital transformation. With the VSMS moving steadily toward Full Operational Capability, the leadership’s endorsement indicates continued support for the system’s implementation and operational expansion.

The positive outcome of this visit provides a strong setting: Vanuatu is advancing in digital tax compliance, aligning practical technology deployment with governmental oversight, and setting the stage for a fully operational, transparent, and accountable system that benefits both the state and its businesses.

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For Gesa, the Deputy Director of Inland Revenue at Vanuatu’s Ministry of Finance, the sentence is the central dilemma of governing this South Pacific nation of just over 300,000 people spread across 83 islands. His department does collect money, yes, but that money keeps the lights on in schools, funds healthcare, maintains ports, and pays for the asphalt that connects villages to towns as well. Revenue is the bloodstream of the government, and for years too much of it has been slipping away into a shadowy maze of unrecorded cash transactions.

Rewriting the Rules of Taxation – Locally

Now, in a move that would sound ambitious in far larger economies, Vanuatu is locally rewriting the rules of taxation. The solution: a fully digitized tax monitoring system, designed to catch in real time what once vanished without a trace. The name is as technical as it is unassuming, the Value Added Tax Monitoring System, or VSMS powered by Data Tech International’s TaxCore, but behind it lies a confident idea. “It is a full-fledged journey,” Gesa says, a hint of pride creeping into his usually clipped delivery. And he means it literally: the journey from manual ledgers and patchwork reporting to e-invoicing powered by live data.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, through the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue (DCIR) led by Mr Harold Tarosa, is preparing to roll out the new Vanuatu Sales Monitoring System (VSMS) to improve Value Added Tax (VAT) collection nationwide. The system will be introduced between August 2025 and January 2026.

At the heart of this shift is a partnership with Data Tech International (DTI), a company with global experience in fiscal solutions, and its platform Taxcore, which is powering VSMS. As always, the collaboration is much more than a technical handoff but a daily, evolving dialogue, one that, in Gesa’s telling, has already given his team a newfound sense of confidence.

5 Key Takeaways

1. From Informal Chaos to Digital Order: Vanuatu’s economy has long been dominated by an informal cash sector that left government coffers starved. With VAT as the country’s financial lifeline, the introduction of the Value Added Tax Monitoring System (VSMS) powered by Data Tech International’s TaxCore is designed to bring transparency and accuracy to revenue collection.

2. A Partnership That Fits Local Realities: Unlike one-size-fits-all solutions, the collaboration between Vanuatu’s Inland Revenue Department and Data Tech International has been deeply customized. Learning from Fiji and Samoa’s experiences, Vanuatu tailored the e-invoicing system to its own context, with DTI working closely alongside a dedicated local project team.

3. Real-Time Data, Real-Time Accountability: Every transaction in the system generates an e-invoice that is logged instantly. This live data stream ends the old reliance on quarterly filings and guesswork, giving policymakers the tools to monitor revenue, plan budgets, and address gaps with precision, even when offline.

4. Businesses as Partners, Not Targets: For Vanuatu’s enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones, VSMS simplifies record-keeping and VAT filing, reducing administrative headaches. Collins Gesa emphasizes collaboration rather than punishment, framing taxation as a shared responsibility between government and business.

5. A Cultural Shift Toward Compliance: Tax evasion once thrived in the shadows of a cash economy, but the digital paper trail changes the game. Compliance will rise not because penalties will grow harsher, but because underreporting will no longer be easy or safe. The bigger achievement, Gesa suggests, is cultural: building a modern state where paying tax is part of the national identity.

Vanuatu e-Invoicing: An Old Problem, A Modern Fix

For decades, Vanuatu’s tax structure has leaned heavily on self-assessment. Businesses were expected to keep tidy records and file truthful VAT returns. In theory, this was straightforward. In practice, in a nation where the informal sector dwarfs the formal economy, compliance was more guesswork than science. Receipts were optional, record-keeping uneven, and cash, untraceable, pliable, and ever-present. The result was predictable: government coffers ran short while a hidden economy thrived.

“We have a very small formal system compared to what we have in the informal system, which is a very huge sector,” Gesa explains. His words carry the candor of someone who has spent years watching public finances bleed out in silence. But unlike many of his peers in larger nations, Gesa did not have the luxury of waiting. Vanuatu does not levy personal income tax. VAT is its lifeline. “VAT predominantly is one of our broad-based taxes,” he says. “It has contributed very significantly in the billions… and the government will continue to rely heavily on it.” Now, it is obvious that the challenge was no longer simply about plugging leaks. It was about reforming the entire pipeline.

Borrowed From Neighbors, Tailored at Home

If you want to understand Vanuatu’s confidence in its new approach, you need only look around the region. Fiji and Samoa have already rolled out similar systems based on DTI’s Taxcore technology. Their early experiments, the hiccups and the breakthroughs, became lessons written in real time for Port Vila to study.

“We have learned quite well from our neighboring countries,” Gesa says, though he is careful to add that imitation was never the goal. The trick was to absorb what worked, skip what failed, and write rules that reflected the nation’s own quirks. “We firmly believe that whatever is done in our context… has to be tailor-made, it has to be customized to suit our own local context.”

That tailoring is where the partnership with DTI has flourished. Unlike many international consultancies that arrive with cookie-cutter solutions and leave with invoices, DTI has been unusually present. Gesa drops names, Imre, Maya, Luka, with the familiarity of colleagues, not contractors. “You guys have given us that confidence, that level of confidence and professionalism,” he says, describing a relationship that, by his account, has been “very positive” and “very promising.”

The collaboration has been powered by a dedicated local project team, a rare hybrid of domestic oversight and international expertise. The result is a system that fits Vanuatu’s peculiar e-invoicing needs, a tax net designed for an archipelago where some transactions still happen in market huts beside the sea.

Vanuatu e-Invoicing: What VSMS Actually Does

On paper, VSMS sounds like a bureaucrat’s dream: a system that records every VAT transaction in real time, creating an electronic paper trail. In practice, it means this: the next time a customer buys a meal, a ferry ticket, or a basket of taro in a participating business, the receipt issued is far more than a slip of paper. It is an e-invoice, logged instantly into the system.

For the government, the advantages are obvious. No more waiting for quarterly filings to discover discrepancies. The data arrives live, sharp, and undeniable. “The government needed to move from a patchwork of manual and semi-automated processes to what I call a full-fledged digitized solution,” Gesa says.

For businesses, the benefits are subtler but no less real. Record-keeping, once a tedious, error-prone chore, becomes automatic. Filing VAT returns becomes less about scrambling through shoeboxes of receipts and more about reconciling data already in place. In a country where small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the formal sector, the reduction in paperwork is not trivial.

“Tax should be seen as everybody’s business,” Gesa insists, signaling that the rollout is not meant to be punitive. His approach to the private sector is almost parental: firm but supportive. “We have to be seen in this process as partners… working together to make sure they do understand their obligations and they are doing what is right and what is legal.”

A Phased Rollout, Island by Island

Vanuatu’s geography makes even modest reforms a logistical puzzle. Spreading a digital tax system across six provinces means threading technology through islands where travel can depend on the tides, and where internet connectivity can sputter like a kerosene lamp.

To manage this, the rollout is deliberate, starting with Shefa Province, home to Port Vila. “It is a complex undertaking,” Gesa concedes, though not with the resignation of a man beaten down by obstacles, but with the satisfaction of one who has already started to bend them to his will.

Each phase brings not only new businesses into the system but also new lessons on how to train, communicate, and adapt. The system may be digital, but the rollout is unmistakably human. conversations with business owners, workshops, site visits, and trust-building exercises that stretch from the capital to remote villages.

Vanuatu e-Invoicing: The Promise of Data

What excites Gesa most, though, is not the paperwork saved, or the errors avoided. It is the data itself. “It’s a confirmation for Vanuatu of moving from a manual world of doing business… to a full-fledged journey,” he reflects.

Obviously, for a country with limited resources, data is the real currency. With it, policymakers can predict revenue flows, plan budgets more accurately, and even negotiate better with international lenders and donors. For the first time, the Ministry of Finance will not be guessing at the size of its economy. It will see it, receipt by receipt, transaction by transaction.

And with that visibility comes something far rarer in tax administration: trust. Citizens and businesses alike can see a government not groping in the dark but acting with knowledge. In a small nation, that shift matters.

Betting Big for a Small Nation

For a country often wrongly overlooked on the world stage, Vanuatu’s e-invoicing experiment is striking in its ambition. Larger economies have struggled for decades with digital tax reforms, often drowning in bureaucracy, lobbying, and political gridlock. Vanuatu, by contrast, has moved with a clarity born of necessity.

The stakes are enormous. Billions of vatu ride on the system’s success. Schools, clinics, roads, and ports all depend on it, especially after the large earthquake that recently shook the country. And yet, as Gesa tells it, the decision to take the leap was less about daring than about survival. Without VAT, there is no meaningful revenue base. Without accurate VAT collection, there is no fiscal future. “It’s a large bet for a small nation,” he concedes, his voice steady, his conviction firm. “But it is a bet we are making with clear eyes.”

Of course, tax evasion is as old as taxation itself, but in Vanuatu, e-Invoicing digital paper trail is already changing the calculus. A business owner who once relied on underreporting cash sales now will face an uphill battle against a system that registers each transaction as it happens.

The deterrent effect is quiet but powerful. Compliance rises not because penalties loom larger, but because cheating suddenly looks harder, riskier, and perhaps most importantly, out of step with the new norm. That, Gesa suggests, may be the greatest achievement of all: not just more money in the treasury, but a cultural shift toward paying tax as a shared responsibility.

Vanuatu e-Invoicing: Becoming a Modern State

From the outside, Vanuatu’s move might look like a modest tax reform. To those inside the Ministry of Finance, it feels closer to a cultural reset, a chance to drag a fragmented system into the 21st century and prove that even a nation of scattered islands can build a modern state.

As it has just been legislated, the e-invoicing project has not yet reached every business, nor has it closed every gap. But the momentum is unmistakable as the VSMS is starting its path. The confidence between the ministry and DTI remains high, the early project development results is encouraging, and the sense of national ownership is strong. As Gesa leans forward, his final words sound less like a bureaucrat’s talking points and more like a promise: “The relationship momentum is very high. The confidence is very high. We are moving from a manual past into a digital future. And that is the confirmation we need.”

The post Vanuatu e-Invoicing Outsmarts Grey Economy appeared first on Dti.

The meeting had two objectives: to explain the upcoming VMS enhancements and the EFD framework, as well as to address the developers’ questions in an open dialogue during the Q&A session.

Meeting details

During the first part of the meeting, Ms. Kelerayani Dawai, Compliance Director at FRCS, addressed the implementation of the new VAT requirements in the VMS system, outlining strategies to manage the ongoing changes while enhancing service delivery.

DTI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Ivan Pavlovic, followed up with a detailed review of the most significant changes and key enhancements resulting from the transition from VMS version 2 to version 3. It is notable to mention that this transition is in alignment with Phase 3 of FRCS’s 2025/2026 National Budget Announcement.

Backward compatibility between v2 and v3 is assured

During this transition period, which FRCS confirmed will last until 31.12.2026, DTI ensures backward compatibility between the previous and the new system. All EFD solutions currently operating under the v2 model will continue to work with the new system until the extended transition deadline.

This measure confirms FRCS’s confidence that all vendors will adapt to the new version of the system within this timeframe and encourages them to begin adaptation and testing as soon as possible to ensure compliance within the extended timeline.

The developers who were both in the room and online openly voiced their questions to the FRCS and DTI representatives

The Q&A session

At the end of the meeting, an interactive Q&A session took place, during which vendors attending both online and in person could discuss changes, voice their concerns, and raise current issues regarding the transition from version 2 to version 3 of the VMS system.

3 key takeaways from the meeting

1. Supplier accreditation & conduct. Suppliers must apply for accreditation of POS/E-SDC (reg 8), comply with conduct rules (reg 15). Accreditation can be revoked where requirements aren’t met (reg 10).
2. Taxpayer obligations. Taxpayers must use compliant EFDs and issue fiscal invoices (regs 16–18). FRCS may audit and investigate (reg 27) and enforce compliance (reg 28).
3. FRCS (CEO) role & protocols. FRCS sets guidelines and protocols for communication/data exchange (regs 20–21) and publishes verification procedures (reg 25).

In conclusion

To ensure a level playing field and a stronger market of technically compliant solutions, DTI is providing equal technical support to every vendor and a free-of-charge accreditation process to verify compliance. We have designed this approach to enhance service quality, promote healthy competition, and provide taxpayers with a broader choice of compliant EFD offerings. Ultimately, it results in better outcomes for taxpayers.

Acknowledging the message the VMS developers conveyed to both FRCS and DTI, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting and strengthening effective communication among the three parties: DTI, FRCS, and third-party vendors.

DTI’s equal-support, zero-fee accreditation model is deliberate: it expands the pool of technically compliant solutions and raises the bar on service quality through competition. The result is better outcomes for taxpayers.

Final remarks

As a reminder, our journey in Fiji began in 2017, and since then, we have continuously supported and enhanced DTI’s flagship product, TaxCore®. DTI’s longstanding presence in the country, especially considering the rapid pace at which new technological solutions emerge, stands as a testament to the trust and strong partnership that exists between our company and Fiji’s FRCS.

Given the trust that FRCS has placed in our product, it is only natural for us to continue supporting and investing in this initiative. The recent upgrade to version 3 demonstrates that our product remains fully operational, future-ready, and continuously enhanced to address upcoming challenges. As always, we emphasize our strong commitment to fighting tax evasion.

The post DTI Meets with VMS POS and E-SDC Development Companies at FRCS’s Invitation appeared first on Dti.

In the South Pacific, where bureaucratic bottlenecks sometimes run on “Fiji time”, at the forefront of this shift is the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS), a government agency long responsible for collecting the country’s revenue, now writing a new chapter in tax compliance with the help of Data Tech International (DTI). Together, we’ve built something the country has never seen before, a real-time VAT monitoring system that has already proven its existence.

This is the reason why we sat with Kelerayani Dawai, Director of Compliance at the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS). FRCS is responsible for more than 85% of the government’s revenue. Now, think about that for a moment… most of the roads, hospitals, and public services in Fiji rely on one department’s ability to collect taxes accurately, promptly, and fairly.

Dawai doesn’t deal with sayings or lofty pronouncements. She talks directly about compliance, about trust, and the daily tug-of-war between what’s ideal and what’s achievable. “The truth is, we just couldn’t keep up,” she says. “The old way, checking receipts, doing manual audits, it wasn’t just inefficient. It was impossible for a country our size.” So, Fiji decided to stop chasing receipts and start receiving them, live.

Key Takeaways – Fiji eInvoicing Benchmark

1. Real-Time Data Changed Everything: Fiji didn’t wait for global consensus or donor blueprints, it went live. The VAT Monitoring System (VMS), powered by Data Tech International’s TaxCore, gave FRCS real-time access to every receipt. “We don’t have the resources to manually audit every trader,” said Director of Compliance Kelerayani Dawai. “We can’t be everywhere. But the data can be.”

2. Compliance Went from Enforced to Embraced: Initially met with suspicion, the system eventually won businesses over, not through pressure, but through proof. “We started seeing businesses that weren’t even obligated to join the system, step forward,” Dawai said. “They saw how it could help them too, not just us.”

3. Visibility Made the Difference: FRCS now sees every transaction down to the cent. This is live proof. From catching mispriced chickens to flagging misapplied VAT rates, Dawai put it simply: “We didn’t need guesswork. We had the receipts. Literally.”

4. Trust Was Built, Not Bought: Success came not just from software, but from how DTI worked with FRCS. “They learned our tempo,” said Dawai. “They adjusted. And that mattered.” Because when you’re asking a whole economy to shift its behavior, trust becomes your biggest asset.

5. The Region Is Watching: Fiji’s phased rollout and collaborative approach are turning heads across the Pacific. “We’re not telling them what to do,” Dawai said. “But we share our legislation. We share the phases. We share the stumbles and wins. Let them decide.” Because everyone wants to have keys to digital VAT monitoring and reporting success, this is why Fiji became the true eInvoicing benchmark.

The Partnership That Changed Everything

The shift began with a technological leap, but not one Fiji took alone. The real engine behind this change is the VAT Monitoring System (VMS), powered by a DTI’s platform called TaxCore. Since the early days of the FRCS/DTI partnership (2017), our team has become more like embedded collaborator than distant consultant.

This wasn’t a simple install-and-go. The road was long, occasionally bumpy, and often political. “We passed the legislation, and yes, there was pushback,” Dawai admits. Businesses didn’t like the idea of their sales data pinging over to FRCS in real time. There was suspicion, confusion, and a lot of bad information floating around. “There was resistance, of course,” she says, with the calm candor of someone who’s seen both the protests and the payoffs. “When the VAT Monitoring System was legislated, the business community didn’t understand why. They thought it was about control. But it was about fairness.”

Fairness, in this case, meant warranting every business, large or small, played by the same tax rules. Fiji, like many developing nations, leans heavily on VAT, which alone makes up nearly half the government’s income. That dependence made leakages intolerable. The solution? Not a legion of inspectors, but data, streamed directly from businesses to FRCS in real-time, via electronic fiscal devices connected to the TaxCore system.  “We don’t have the resources to manually audit every trader,” Dawai explains. “We can’t be everywhere. But the data can be.”

Still, no technology enters quietly. Businesses balked, citing confusion and cost. The pandemic didn’t help, pushing back key rollout phases. But over time, as understanding grew, so did the buy-in. Voluntary buy-in, in fact. “We started seeing businesses that weren’t even obligated to join the system, step forward,” Dawai says, smiling. “They saw how it could help them too, not just us.”

Fiji eInvoicing Benchmark: Seeing Everything, All at Once

The core idea of the VMS is simple: every transaction at a registered business sends a digitally signed and secured invoice to the tax authority. This gave FRCS something it never had before, visibility. Not statistical models or educated guesses, but live data. Down to the cents, across the whole economy. Obviously, VAT compliance improved dramatically. Audits became surgical instead of sweeping. And FRCS staff, once swamped by paperwork, could now spend their time analyzing data instead of chasing it.

But DTI didn’t just send technicians. They sent people willing to sit in meetings that lasted hours longer than scheduled and created chat platforms where junior FRCS staff could log queries directly. Focus was on relationship building. “They learned our tempo,” Dawai said. “They adjusted. And that mattered. Because when you’re asking a whole economy to shift its behavior, trust becomes your biggest asset.”

The Chicken That Shook the System

The government announced a shift from three VAT rates (15%, 9% and 0%) to a single flat rate of 15%. And just like that in 2022, prices for household staples jumped when the Budget was announced. The public wasn’t amused. Complaints poured into the Consumer Council and the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission.

“People thought the VAT increase was the whole story,” Dawai says. “But our data told a more complicated one.” Within hours, FRCS, with DTI’s help, began generating inflationary reports using live VMS data. They zeroed in on prices for essentials, comparing them across retailers, regions, and time. One product stood out: chicken.

“Everyone eats chicken in Fiji,” Dawai says, smiling. Before the tax rate change, a standard chicken cost was around $17. The day after? Some outlets had it listed at $24. That’s not a 6% tax increase (from 9% to 15%), it’s a 40% spike. And the VMS caught it instantly. “We didn’t have to send inspectors and didn’t need guesswork. We had the receipts. Literally,” Dawai says. The system had teeth, not through threats, but through facts.

This digital accountability didn’t stop at chickens. When VAT rates were misapplied at checkout, sometimes by mistake, sometimes not, the system flagged it. When shops tried to play fast and loose with refunds or returns, TaxCore catches the anomalies. No need for dawn raids or paperwork marathons. Just data, flowing in real-time, scrutinized by analysts who focus on the signal, not the noise.

Fiji eInvoicing Benchmark: Why the Region is Paying Attention

Interestingly, word got out. Other countries, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and others, have started reaching out. Not for software, but for strategy.  “We’re not telling them what to do,” she insists. “But we share our legislation. We share the experience. We share the stumbles and wins. Let them decide.” Because this isn’t about showing off, it’s about building something that works. The FRCS isn’t trying to lecture the world. But if you’re looking for a small country that did something big with tax reform, this is where the real lessons live. This is how Fiji became the eInvoicing benchmark in the region, and maybe, even beyond!

It helps that FRCS took a staggered approach, three phases, each onboarding specific business sectors. Phase 3, the final one, is awaiting gazette approval. But Dawai’s vision goes beyond phases. She sees a future where every business in Fiji, formal or informal, issues digital invoices. A future where even the smallest roadside vendor knows exactly what they earned last month and how much tax they should (or shouldn’t) be paying. That shift, from suspicion to cooperation, might be the system’s biggest success. It’s not just about collecting revenue. It’s about changing relationships, and this is why other countries are following closely.

The Road Ahead

Phase 3 of the VMS is next. Dawai expects it to expand to more sectors, more businesses, and eventually, become the national norm. “This isn’t just about revenue,” she says. “It’s about giving small businesses tools they never had before. It’s about bringing the informal sector into the fold. And yes, it’s about making tax fair for everyone.”

When asked what advice she’d give to other revenue authorities, Dawai doesn’t hesitate. “Know your goal. For us, it was voluntary compliance. Not just more tax, but better tax. That’s what this system delivered.”

She doesn’t talk in slogans or strategies. She talks about what’s working. What’s changing. What’s possible when government stops chasing taxpayers and starts listening to the data.

The Example No One Saw Coming

What Fiji has done with the VMS, with TaxCore, with DTI, is nothing short of remarkable. In a region often written off as a footnote in global reform conversations, they’ve become a reference point. “It speaks volume in terms of how such a system can influence a tax system or reporting framework for a developing country like ours,” Dawai said. “Data is powerful nowadays. If you’re able to sit in the office and get information on a dashboard, all those reports… it changes everything.”

The old enforcement model, she said, was labor-intensive and often late. “We don’t have resources, we can’t police everybody, we can’t go and check individual records. It’s very expensive.” But the digital solution “was the option the government needed to take.”

The results are measurable, but perhaps more striking is the shift in tone. Compliance, Dawai said plainly, is no longer feared. “Right now, there is a great appreciation of the change that has taken place,” she said. “People appreciate that VMS is here to stay.”

And for Dawai, who has been tasked with upholding laws and closing revenue gaps, the bottom line is clear. When asked to sum up the biggest value of the VMS, she didn’t hesitate. “As a Director of Compliance, I really support this. And in that one word: it’s compliance!”

The post Fiji eInvoicing Benchmark: Compliance Made Easy appeared first on Dti.

Theresa Kyoto Amosa, the Assistant Chief Executive Officer for Policy Performance & Improvement Division at the Ministry of Customs & Revenue Samoa, is at the heart of this fiscal transformation. Speaking with a clarity and enthusiasm that would make even the most jaded tax lawyer perk up, she paints a picture of a nation undergoing a significant and positive shift. “In a nutshell,” Amosa explains, describing her role, “my role is essentially to provide tax policy advice to government… and we are also the analytical arm of the ministry, so we analyze all the data that’s collected.” It was through this analytical lens that the need for a more vigorous system became glaringly obvious.

The introduction of the Tax Invoice Monitoring System (TIMS) wasn’t exactly met with open arms, as Amosa readily admits. “Yes, there was definitely a lot of resistance,” she recalls. For a country with a significant cash economy and a reliance on manual processes, the idea of embracing technology in everyday business operations presented a considerable hurdle. “It’s very hard for our local people to accept the idea of using technology in their everyday business operations,” she states. This resistance wasn’t limited to taxpayers; even within the ministry, a learning curve existed.

Key Takeaways

1. Data-Driven Problem Identification is Crucial: Samoa’s journey began with a clear understanding of the problem. A 2019 tax gap analysis revealed a significant discrepancy between registered taxpayers and those filing returns, highlighting substantial underreporting. This data-centric approach provided the impetus and justification for implementing a new system.
2. A Committed Technology Partner Makes All the Difference: The collaboration between the Ministry of Customs & Revenue Samoa and Data Tech International (DTI) was a cornerstone of their success. Amosa consistently emphasizes DTI’s proactive attitude, commitment to successful implementation, and willingness to go above and beyond their contractual obligations. Selecting a technology partner truly invested in the country’s success, not just in making a sale, made all the difference.
3. Real-Time Monitoring Fosters Compliance and Increases Revenue: The core functionality of TIMS, its ability to monitor transactions in real-time by directly linking businesses’ sales points to the tax authority, had a significant impact. This transparency changed taxpayer behavior. Knowing their sales were being monitored, businesses became far more willing to report their true earnings. This direct oversight led to a noticeable increase in revenue collection.
4. Addressing Resistance Through Collaboration and Support is Essential: Implementing a new digital system inevitably faces resistance, both from taxpayers accustomed to manual processes and from within the implementing organization itself. Samoa tackled this by working closely with DTI, who provided crucial support in developing training materials and helping the ministry define internal roles and responsibilities.
5. Transparency and Accuracy Build Trust in the Tax System: Ultimately, the success of Samoa’s fiscalization efforts, driven by TIMS, boils down to enhanced transparency and accuracy in the tax system. Thru minimizing human intervention and providing a clear, auditable record of transactions, TIMS reduced opportunities for errors and deliberate underreporting

Driven by Data: The Analysis That Sparked a Fiscal Revolution

However, the Ministry, guided by Amosa’s division, understood the pressing need for change. A 2019 tax gap analysis had revealed a startling discrepancy between registered taxpayers and those actually filing returns. “There was a huge gap, a huge discrepancy,” Amosa emphasizes, highlighting the significant risk of underreporting. The promise of TIMS, with its ability to monitor transactions in real-time, offered a sign of hope in closing this gap.

Samoa fiscalization journey wasn’t without its bumps, but the collaboration with Data Tech International proved to be the cornerstone of their success. Amosa speaks highly of their partners, noting their “just attitude towards implementation” and their commitment to a successful rollout. DTI’s proactive approach, from developing training materials to assisting in defining internal roles, was instrumental. “One thing that I’ve actually picked up from DTI is the commitment that you have to really benefit our internal processes from the use of the tax invoice monitoring system,” she remarks. Amosa highlights that such dedication is rare, especially when compared to their past experiences with other technology vendors.

Proof in Numbers: Samoa Fiscalization Delivers Undeniable Impact

So, what tangible improvements has TIMS brought to Samoa? According to Amosa, the impact on revenue collection has been undeniable. “I can honestly say that the implementation of the tax invoice monitoring system has contributed to the increase in our revenue collection,” she states confidently. Remarkably, this increase was even evident during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reason? A shift in taxpayer behavior. “Once taxpayers were aware that we were actually monitoring their sales, they started declaring their actual sales in their tax returns,” Amosa explains. The direct connection between their daily transactions and the ministry’s oversight fostered a new sense of accountability.

Beyond the impressive numbers, Amosa shares a compelling anecdote that underscores the human impact of TIMS. She recounts the experience of a large tobacco manufacturing company, a significant contributor to excise taxes. Initially facing accreditation complexities due to being part of an international chain, the company found a dedicated partner in DTI. Amosa vividly describes how the DTI team, even across time zones, worked tirelessly with the company’s EFD component developer to devise a solution that ensured full compliance. This collaborative spirit not only resolved a technical hurdle but also fostered a positive relationship with a major taxpayer. Furthermore, the company itself found value in the system, using the data available on the taxpayer admin portal for their own sales analysis. “This is all evidence-based, and they could monitor their sales, and that has really helped them,” Amosa notes.

Moreover, the new evidence based and compliance driven regulation around TIMS has greatly impacted enrichment and cleansing of existing taxpayer’s registry. Without enforcement efforts Samoa has managed to bring taxpayer’s database to accurate state and assisted taxpayers in maintaining clean records.

Samoa Fiscalization Success: A Strong Partnership with DTI

From the Ministry’s perspective, TIMS has proven to be a powerful tool in detecting and addressing non-compliance. Amosa reveals, “I can say for a fact that we’ve had a number of audit cases where we have detected deliberate underreporting by a few of our large companies.” The consequence of this newfound transparency? These companies had to pay the shortfall along with penalties, sending a clear message about the seriousness of tax evasion.

The implementation of TIMS has also advanced a more proactive approach to tax compliance among businesses. Amosa observes a significant change in how taxpayers interact with the tax system. “Tax compliance has definitely improved,” she asserts. “I reiterate the fact that taxpayers actually now make an effort to read our tax laws and comply because just knowing that now the ministry has this tool to monitor them on a daily basis, it actually influenced their behavior as well.” The days of the ministry having to relentlessly pursue non-compliant taxpayers are gradually receding. “Before we actually had to chase down taxpayers because they weren’t filing on time, they weren’t paying on time, and we didn’t have the resources to put together evidence to pursue further actions… that has definitely changed since the implementation of TIMS,” Amosa affirms.

Going Above and Beyond

The bedrock of this success story is undeniably the strong working relationship between the Ministry and Data Tech International. Amosa describes it as “very positive and efficient.” She highlights DTI’s responsiveness and their willingness to go above and beyond. “One thing that I do appreciate is that there have been several occasions where we’ve been requesting for reports that are not part of the standard reports in the back end… and Data Tech International has always had a very positive attitude towards helping us,” she explains.

DTI exemplifies a collaborative spirit, proactively suggesting new ways to enhance Samoa fiscalization processes and boost compliance, a refreshing change from vendors who merely deliver a product and walk away. “I feel that DTI actually is genuinely committed to making sure that Samoa benefits from the system,” Amosa emphasizes.

Samoa Fiscalization: The Power of Automated Data Transmission

When asked what specifically about TIMS, powered by TaxCore, stood out among other digital tax solutions, Amosa points to the direct link it created between a business’s sales points and the Ministry’s back-end office. “This is the first time that Samoa is equipped with a tool that would directly link a business’s point of sale to the back-end office,” she states. This direct connection minimizes the possibility of human error or manipulation of data. “I think that is what really made us believe in how much we could benefit because… the methods that we had used previously still couldn’t provide us with this… direct linkage.” Automatically transmitting sales data delivers a new standard of transparency and reliability that was once out of reach.

On the regulatory front, DTI’s support was equally invaluable. Amosa credits them with providing the necessary information and materials that enabled their legal team to draft the Regulations for TIMS with remarkable speed. “DTI really presented to us in a manner that would help our legal team draft up the regulations really quickly,” she notes, emphasizing the efficiency of the process.

Amosa’s Conclusion: The Power of Partnership and Transparency

Subsequently, Amosa offers valuable advice for other countries considering modernizing their tax systems. The biggest lesson learned from Samoa’s experience? Strong collaboration and choosing a technology partner genuinely invested in the country’s success have proven essential to driving meaningful progress. Furthermore, for Samoa fiscalization, clear communication and proactive engagement with taxpayers are crucial in overcoming initial resistance.

As for the future of TIMS in Samoa, Amosa hints at further expansion and the introduction of new features to continue strengthening tax compliance. Samoa is actively driving its fiscal modernization forward, building on the success of its TIMS implementation and a strong partnership with Data Tech International to shape a more transparent and efficient tax system.

Finally, when asked to summarize the biggest benefit of TIMS in one sentence, Amosa doesn’t hesitate: “The biggest benefit of TIMS is the enhanced transparency and accuracy it brings to our tax system, leading to increased revenue and improved compliance.”

For other tax authorities contemplating a similar leap, Amosa offers this crucial insight: “The most important thing I’d want them to know is the significance of choosing a partner who understands your unique context and is truly committed to working alongside you to achieve your goals, just as Data Tech International has been for Samoa.”

In Samoa, that common sense has already paid dividends. Revenue collection is up, taxpayer disputes are down, and donor partners now view the nation as a proof-of-concept for transparency. “We’re a small country,” Amosa concludes, “but we’ve made a big point: Trust isn’t built on goodwill alone. It’s built on systems that leave no room for doubt.”

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