More tax successes for Bull

In Zambia, the software design and development phase of the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) project for Zambia Revenue Authority was awarded in March 2001 to Bull and has now been successfully completed.

The pilot site is now underway in preparation for installation and integration on the hardware, the supply of which was recently put out to tender by ZRA through Crown Agents, with funds being provided by DFID under the UK Governments Financial Aid arrangement with the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

Bull Computers South Africa, together with local Zambian partner, Realtime Technology Alliance Africa, submitted a comprehensive bid for the supply and deployment of hardware, software and services at 10 sites throughout Zambia. A selection of 10 companies was made out of which BCSA was chosen as winner. This tender is valued at approximately $2 million and the project started on 1 February 2002.

The content of the project includes:

• .         Supply of hardware necessary for the final national deployment of the ITAS solution. The hardware comprises servers, personal computers, printers, UPS, routers, cash drawers, bar code printers and scanners.

• .         Supply of software comprising operating systems, Oracle products, anti-virus software and NSMS software.

• .         Preparation, deployment and integration of all the above elements within the ITAS network at the 10 sites.

Bull owes its success in winning this tender to its experience and subsequent knowledge of revenue authorities` operations worldwide and particularly in Africa, as well as their expertise in big roll-out projects. Thanks to the close partnership with Realtime and to its high-level local skills, Bull proved to be extremely well-positioned to secure this project.

In Botswana, Bull Information Technology and local partner, RPC Data Ltd, have been awarded the contract worth $300 000 to develop and implement a value-added tax system for the Botswana Department of Customs. The Botswana Ministry of Finance awarded this tender to the RPC Data/Bull consortium in late December 2001.

Botswana is in the process of implementing a VAT system and it is planned to go live by 1 July 2002. The contract was awarded to Bull/RPC Data due to their knowledge of tax systems, their references in Africa as well as the fact that RPC Data has already developed a number of systems for the Botswana Tax Department. The VAT application is based on the Bull Tax Administration System VAT Module and will be significantly customised by RPC Data to meet the Botswana legislation requirements. Registration of VAT vendors is planned for April 2002.

RPC Data have considerable Oracle development experience and are also the approved distributors and implementation agents for Oracle Applications. Jack Wright, Program Director at Bull Information Technology, believes that Bull will meet the tight implementation deadlines and that this module will pave the way for the Botswana Ministry of Finance to investigate the feasibility of implementing the other modules within the Bull tax administration suite.