The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has lauded its graduate trainee programme, which is designed to improve the competencies of its employees both in terms of core and soft skills.
BURS Commissioner General, Ken Morris, said at a graduation ceremony at the Botswana Public Service College that the programme aims to build capacity for new employees to enhance their career development.
Among other things, the programme sets out is to “develop a total tax person who is well rounded in both domestic taxes and customs excise”.
Morris revealed that the programme started after extensive consultations and behind-the-scenes engagements with various stakeholders, notably government of Botswana, the SADC Secretariat, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and some tertiary institutions in Botswana.  It was launched last year by former assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr. Gloria Somolekae.
“This is a culmination of hard work put in by all those who were involved, especially the participants who, through hard work and burning the midnight oil, succeeded,” said Morris.
During the same event, the Chairperson of BURS Board of Directors, Dr. Taufila Nyamadzabo, said the collection of tax and administration of border posts are complex and challenging tasks, which are fraught with both internal and external challenges.
Equally important, he stressed, is the work of border administration, which involves revenue mobilization, facilitation of legitimate trade and control of imports and exports to safeguard national security.
“The labour market could not provide candidates with the requisite training and skills required for specialized tax and customs work,” said Nyamadzabo.
He added that BURS developed the graduate trainee programme as an innovative strategy to attract and develop a new generation of employees whose ideas will help to become a regional leader in revenue and customs administration.
“BURS continues to come up with strategies to promote voluntary compliance through the improvement of customer service,” he said.
Nyamadzabo added that the graduate trainee programme is one of the vehicles through which BURS is trying to inculcate its values and create a new culture that is customer centric.
He also stated that the introduction of integrated IT systems has been a challenge due to inadequate resources, adding that the decision to accredit the programme is a demonstration of the commitment of the BURS and its Board on issues of staff development.
“We are aware of the contribution of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority in the setting up and success of the programme and hope that the collaboration will grow,” he stated.
