MBABANE – For the past two weeks, members of the public have been unable to access core government services due to persistent disruptions in the Treasury Department’s system.
Since mid-October, members of the public have been unable to, among other things, register their new vehicles or pay motor vehicle tax due to the persistent disruptions.
The computer network used for vehicle registration and tax payments has been unstable, frequently going offline and losing connection, leaving both individuals and companies stranded.
The situation has been particularly frustrating for those in the business of buying and selling vehicles.
Car dealerships told this publication that since the problem began, they have been unable to sell cars as they cannot complete registration processes for their customers.
“Business has come to a standstill. We have buyers ready to pay, but without registration, no transaction can go through,” lamented one car dealer based in Matsapha.
According to employees within the Treasury Department, the system occasionally comes back online for a few seconds before disconnecting again, making it impossible to process transactions effectively.
Also affected are companies and individuals participating in government tenders. They are unable to obtain general receipts, which are required during tender openings. “Some people are missing deadlines for tender submissions simply because they cannot get proof of payment,” said one frustrated business owner.
The downtime has not only inconvenienced members of the public, but has also left Treasury staff with little to do.
“There are days when we just sit around because the system is down for the whole day,” one employee confided.
Officials from the Treasury Department have indicated that the issue is being handled by the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP), which operates under the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). The RSTP is said to be best positioned to provide technical explanations and possible solutions to the ongoing disruptions.
As of yesterday, the system had still not been fully restored, leaving thousands of vehicle owners, business operators and car dealers uncertain about when normal services will resume.
A Mbabane dealership said there were 20 motor vehicles on order at his company, but none of them have been cleared for registration.
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RSTP aware of glitch
MBABANE – The Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) is allegedly aware of the glitch, but was still working towards a solution yesterday.
Sources revealed that the RSTP was informed about the issue after some complaints raised by car dealers and taxpayers.
“They said efforts had been made to identify the source of the technical glitch and personnel had been assigned to resolve it speedily,” said the source. It was further revealed that yesterday the situation had been slightly improved as a result of the interventions made.
“But many agencies say it is still too slow. I think the RSTP will issue a statement later on when the issue has been rectified,” the source said.
The Under Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology Macanjana Motsa referred questions to the RSTP.
Impact on Services
- Service disruption and delays: Network blackouts cause nationwide service disruptions in revenue offices, leading to long queues and extended waiting times for citizens and businesses trying to access services or make payments.
- Reduced efficiency and collections: The inability to process transactions efficiently due to system downtime can result in delayed or missed revenue collection, contributing to potential tax shortfalls.
- Increased potential for corruption: Reports have indicated that network blackouts at service centers create an environment where some individuals bypass the official queue through bribery, undermining fair and transparent tax administration processes.
- Operational inefficiencies: System failures can increase operational costs for manual processing and necessitate step-by-step backend procedures, further straining other government bodies.
- Undermining public trust: Frequent and uncommunicated network downtimes can erode public trust in government’s ability to provide reliable services and manage public finances effectively.
*Full article available in our publication
Under Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology Macanjana Motsa. (File pic)