December 2008   Kenia, África.   ECHILEAN COMPANY PARTICIPATES IN   TAX MODERNIZATION PROJECT

The Kenyan authorities chose to use state-of-the-art technology to achieve their objective of increasing tax collection and improving taxpayers' compliance.
This objective started coming to fruition on December 5, 2008, with the commissioning of the system entrusted to Optimisa. On this first stage, the Taxpayer Registration service started operating.
In this way, the cooperation agreement entered between the Tax Authorities of Kenya and Chile in November 2007 began to take shape.
Within the scope of this cooperation program, Optimisa S.A., a Chilean private company, is in charge of the modernization project. The same company developed some of the online tax facilities for Servicio de Impuestos Internos de Chile, SII, a system that has been recognized as groundbreaking in citizen-oriented services worldwide.
This experience has been the foundation for the development of a project in Kenya, where the specific regulations and the development scenario of this new service are of the essence. Optimisa was entrusted with the task of developing Kenya's Integrated Tax Management System (ITMS). To this purpose, the company sent more than fifteen of its experts to that country.
Alexandra Krarup, Chief Executive Officer of Optimisa, rates the commissioning of the system as a source of pride for all employees.
“By dint of purpose, devotion, experience and knowledge, a group of highly committed professionals from Optimisa and KRA managed to fulfill the promise to go into production on December 5. This attainment has allowed a nation to move forward in the pursuit of its objectives and has given us, as a company, the privilege to be there and help,” Ms. Krarup noted.
It should be noted that as per the CIA World Factbook, the number of Internet users in Kenya has increased considerably in the past five years. In 2003, the number of Kenyans with access to the Internet was close to half a million; by 2008, this figure had increased to about three million.
The fact of participating in this project represents a new milestone in the history of Optimisa, after having pioneered the development of online transactional applications in Chile.
"We have dedicated all our know-how and experience to our client, KRA, for the purposes of delivering a new service to Kenyan taxpayers. KRA's goal is to make new technologies available in a user-friendly environment, so that citizens can handle many of their tax formalities in the same way as we do in Chile,” says Alfredo Piquer, Chairman of Optimisa.

Kenyan Press Coverage
The modernization process being implemented by the Kenya Revenue Authority, in which Optimisa is playing a major role, is an event highlighted by the local press. Various local media have reported the subject, emphasizing that the new system will decrease tax evasion while allowing taxpayers to file their tax returns and carry out many related formalities from the comfort of their homes or offices.
They also mention the fact that the system being adopted is the same one used by the Chilean Internal Revenue Service.
"The East African," in its online issue of December 19, 2008, reported that the system scheduled to go live in March of this year would expedite a number of procedures, such as filing tax returns, getting tax rebates, and even obtaining driver's licenses or ID Cards.
"Capital Business," in turn, in its issue of December 18, commented that the automation undertaken by the KRA will remarkably improve the institution's services and simplify the formalities taxpayers are currently required to carry out.