BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
EZULWINI – Public confidence in the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) has risen sharply over the past six years, with the organisation’s Net Promoter Score increasing from below 10 percent to approximately 83 percent.
The revenue service has attributed the development to sustained efforts to improve customer service and strengthen trust with taxpayers.
Speaking during the 4th Annual ERS Client Appreciation Day in Ezulwini, Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule said the improvement reflects growing public confidence in the services provided by the tax authority but cautioned that maintaining that trust requires continuous improvement.
He said the Net Promoter Score, an internationally recognised measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty, demonstrates that significantly more taxpayers are now willing to recommend ERS based on their experience with its services.
“We have invested significantly in improving the client experience,” Nkambule said.
He noted that although the organisation is encouraged by the improvement, it does not regard public confidence as guaranteed.
“We do not take this trust for granted,” he said.
According to Nkambule, taxpayers judge the organisation not only by its ability to collect revenue but also by the quality and consistency of the service they receive.
He acknowledged that unanswered telephone calls, delayed tax refunds, inconsistent decisions and poor customer interactions have the potential to undermine confidence in the institution.
For that reason, he said ERS remains committed to listening to clients, learning from their experiences and continuously improving service delivery across all areas of the organisation.
Nkambule said the organisation’s focus on customer service forms part of a broader transformation that has taken place since ERS commenced operations in January 2011.
This year marks the institution’s 15th anniversary, a period during which domestic revenue mobilisation has become increasingly important in financing government programmes, particularly as receipts from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) continue to fluctuate.
The Commissioner General said the organisation has also improved operational efficiency over the past decade.
He revealed that ERS has reduced its cost-to-revenue ratio from more than five percent to approximately four percent while increasing the domestic tax-to-GDP ratio from about 13.4 percent to around 16.5 percent.
According to Nkambule, these improvements indicate that Eswatini is becoming more effective at mobilising domestic revenue.
However, he stressed that success should not be measured solely by the amount of tax collected.
Instead, he said revenue administration must also be judged on whether taxes are collected fairly, transparently and professionally.
Nkambule emphasised that compliant businesses should never be disadvantaged by companies that deliberately evade taxes through under-declaration or by operating outside the tax system.
He said fair taxation requires every taxpayer to contribute the correct amount at the appropriate time in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner General reaffirmed ERS’s commitment to building stronger relationships with taxpayers through professionalism, accountability and consistent service delivery.
He said maintaining public trust remains critical to improving voluntary tax compliance and ensuring sustainable domestic revenue collection that supports national development.
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