Very soon, taxpayers will be able to make tax payments using their smatphones, tablets and computers, as the government is all set to introduce electronic payment system for revenue collection as well as disbursement of payments.

The Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the main agency responsible for the government’s treasury operation, is soon adding online payment interface to its Revenue Management Information System (RMIS) so that taxes could be paid electronically.

The RMIS is web-based software that keeps track of government’s revenue collection. The software currently being used in the country, however, does not support online payment, meaning taxpayers have to visit a bank and deposit cash or cheque in accounts of concerned government bodies.

“We are planning to upgrade the software within mid-April so that people can make payments to the government using the internet. The upgraded system will be launched throughout the country within mid-July,” said Yadu Nath Bhattarai, deputy financial comptroller at the FCGO.

The move comes at a time when new Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada has directed concerned agencies to launch e-payment system for public revenue collection and payment that government makes to various parties within mid-April.

Once the online payment function is added to RMIS, people can use e-wallets, such as eSewa, electronic cards issued by banking institutions or online banking service to pay taxes and make other payments to the government, said Bhattarai.

The government first installed RMIS at the Kathmandu District Treasury Office around a year ago. The software was installed at the Lalitpur District Treasury Office on Tuesday and will be installed at the District Treasury Office in Bhaktapur within mid-March, according to Bhattarai.

“We will install RMIS at treasury offices across the country within mid-April,” Bhattarai said.

The FCGO has also installed RMIS at 11 commercial banks that work as intermediaries for the government in revenue collection. Payments made through these banks can be monitored by various government offices, the Nepal Rastra Bank and the FCGO and its branch offices.

This system has so far helped the government to get information on revenue collection on real-time basis and reduce cases of fraud payments through use of fake deposit slips.

The FCGO is also planning to enable all government bodies to make payments to different parties electronically. Currently, payments to private contractors are being made electronically.

“But we still have not been able to deposit salaries of civil servants by electronic means due to confusion over whether the government or the employee should bear the cost incurred during electronic transfers,” Bhattarai said. “So, cheques are still being sent to banks to deposit salaries. But this problem will be solved very soon.”

The government also has not been able to pay utility bills electronically. “We are looking for ways to sort this problem out as well,” Bhattarai said.