Burundi’s revenue authority on Monday launched the implementation phase of a new integrated digital platform designed to allow online declaration and payment of taxes and duties, a move officials say will modernize revenue collection and align the country with regional trends in public finance management.
The Burundian Revenue Office, known by its French acronym OBR, unveiled the system, called E-KORI, during a ceremony in Bujumbura attended by senior government officials and development partners.
OBR Commissioner General Emmanuel Mbonihankuye said the platform represents a major step in the digitalization of the agency’s operations. He said E-KORI will enable real-time monitoring of state revenues, significantly reduce manual processes that often lead to errors and delays, and improve the quality of services provided to taxpayers.
“With this system, the OBR is strengthening transparency and efficiency in revenue management,” Mbonihankuye said.
Finance, Budget and Digital Economy Minister Alain Ndikumana, who presided over the launch, said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to building a modern and transparent state. He linked the project to Burundi’s long-term development strategy, which aims to make the country an emerging economy by 2040 and a developed nation by 2060.
“E-KORI opens a new way of serving citizens and businesses,” Ndikumana said. “Sustainable development depends on a country’s ability to mobilize its own resources, manage them rigorously and put them at the service of its population.”
The system is intended to simplify tax compliance, which officials acknowledged has long been viewed as complex and time-consuming. Once fully operational, E-KORI will allow taxpayers to declare and pay taxes remotely, track transactions online and reduce the need for in-person visits to tax offices, according to the Finance Ministry.
Burundi’s move comes as several East African Community member states accelerate the digitalization of tax administration to broaden their revenue bases and improve compliance. Kenya operates the iTax platform for electronic filing and payment, while Rwanda and Tanzania have rolled out online tax declaration and payment systems as part of broader public sector reforms. Regional institutions, including the EAC Secretariat, have repeatedly emphasized digital public finance systems as key to improving domestic revenue mobilization.
For governments across the region, such reforms are seen as critical to reducing reliance on external financing and improving fiscal resilience amid rising debt pressures.
Ndikumana said E-KORI will also improve revenue traceability and reduce risks associated with errors or malpractice, strengthening oversight of public finances. He thanked the World Bank for providing technical and financial support for the project and praised teams from the OBR and partner institutions involved in its development.
On the sidelines of the launch, the minister visited several departments within the Burundian Revenue Office to assess operational readiness for the rollout of the new system.
