Díli, October 4, 2023, Coordination Meeting between SERVE,I.P. and the Tax Authority (AT), Ministry of Finance (MbF) on the Use and Operation of the Electronic Database System “SIGTAS” (Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System) in Timor-Leste. Currently, SERVE,I.P. uses this system to process and perform Commercial Registration, encompassing businesses, companies or enterprises, thereby facilitating the commercial licensing process. This meeting was attended by the Senior Supervisor, Commercial Registration Supervisor, and the Technical Staff of the Commercial Registration from SERVE, I.P., as well as the Commissioner of the Tax Authority (AT), Mr. Uldarico Maria Rodrigues, accompanied by the Technical Advisor of the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (CATFP or The Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre – PFTAC) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Stan Shrosbree, and other members of the Tax Authority’s Technical Team.

The meeting focused on improving the Taxpayer Registration Function within SERVE,I.P., which plays a crucial role in registering taxpayers’ data, both for individuals or natural persons and entities or legal persons, with the need to ensure that the records reflect accurate and real information. The CATFP or PFTAC Project is supporting the Tax Authority in producing a report for Timor-Leste aimed at Modernizing the National Fiscal Administration (AFN) while recognizing that Taxpayers’ Registration is fundamental to a modern tax administration.

This meeting marks the beginning of an ongoing effort, and in the future, a brief training session will be conducted to empower the employees and technical personnel of SERVE,I.P.’s commercial registration unit to avoid entering incorrect data that could lead to corrupted records or data’s. This will ensure the information veracity with the focus on the “Reliability and Accuracy” of commercial registration data in the future.