THE Bureau of Internal Revenues (BIR) tapped financial technology (fintech) company PayMaya Philippines Inc. to allow tax payers to remit their taxes using their mobile phones.
In a statement, the fintech player said the partnership with the tax collections agency affords users of the PayMaya app to pay their taxes through the pay bills feature of the mobile software. Aside from this, the partnership may extend to “other channels, such as through its online portal and its revenue district offices nationwide.”
“Having more digital payment options is part of the government’s efforts to drive ease of doing business in the country and help make tax payments more convenient for Filipinos. With our partnership with PayMaya, even those who are not within reach of a bank branch can make their tax payments on time, wherever they may be,” BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay said.
PayMaya CEO Orlando B. Vea noted that the partnership is in support of the government’s escalated efforts to digitize many of its services in order to improve efficiencies, reach its revenue collection goals and deliver better public services to Filipinos nationwide.
“With agencies like the BIR opening digital payment channels for their constituents, the quality and efficiency of government services are vastly improved, which will help drive our competitiveness as a country,” he said.
This, Vea added, will also help in contributing to the National Retail Payment System Program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, an initiative that aims to increase digital transactions to 20 percent by 2020.