What Office Burundais des Recettes does

Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) is the monopoly government tax and customs revenue collection agency of the Republic of Burundi, established in 2009 under Law n°1/11 and reconstituted under Law n°1/22 of 5 November 2021. It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance, governed by a Board of Directors, and exercises exclusive legal authority over the assessment, collection, and administration of all public revenues — direct taxes (Income Tax, Employment Income Tax, Withholding, Rental Income), indirect taxes (VAT, consumption taxes), customs and excise duties under the EAC Common External Tariff, and (effective 1 July 2026) land property tax. Its mandate is funded by public budget allocations rather than commercial revenue, with collections remitted to the Public Treasury.

OBR's core operational technology consists of four integrated digital platforms: (1) Asycuda World for electronic customs declarations and import/export processing, integrated with EAC partner states; (2) e-KORI (Umutangakori), the online tax declaration and payment portal launched August 2023, which integrates with banking institutions for payment settlement; (3) the Electronic Billing Management System (EBMS), a real-time electronic invoicing platform mandated for public fund managers and suppliers; and (4) a Document Verification System available via web and Android, used to combat document falsification. Supporting services include taxpayer registration (NIF issuance), VAT credit refunds, Tax Clearance Certificates (Quitus Fiscal), and a free fraud-reporting hotline (500).

OBR serves approximately 382 large taxpayers (revenue >1B BIF), ~1,500 medium taxpayers (100M–1B BIF, including ~1,200 VAT-registered businesses), an unspecified population of small and micro taxpayers, importers/exporters, and privileged persons (embassies, NGOs, international organizations). Its GTM combines physical offices (headquarters at Immeuble Emmaüs in Bujumbura, regional office in Gitega), self-serve digital portals, a banking-institution payment network, and mobile Tax Clinic outreach campaigns. With 118 employees, OBR is a compact agency whose value proposition rests on its legal monopoly, digital modernization, and EAC-aligned enforcement capabilities.

Name

Office Burundais des Recettes

Legal name

Office Burundais des Recettes

Website

https://obr.bi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) is Burundi's monopoly government revenue collection agency, administering all tax and customs collection across large, medium, small, and micro taxpayer segments via digital platforms (EBMS, e-KORI, Asycuda World) integrated with East African Community regional systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Tax and Customs Administration

NAICS

Public Finance Activities (921130), Public Administration (92), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Revenue Systems, E-Filing & Digital Tax Administration (BPAIADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tax Return Filing, Processing & Assessment (BPAIADAC), Taxpayer Registration, Identity & Account Management (BPAIADAB), Collections, Arrears Management & Debt Enforcement (BPAIADAD), Government Accounting & Financial Reporting (BPAIAEAD), Government & Public Sector Disbursements (Tax Refunds, Benefits) (FSAMAKAJ)

Keywords

• Tax administration services
• Customs duty collection
• Public revenue collection
• Taxpayer registration services
• Electronic invoicing systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Bujumbura

HQ country

Burundi

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tax Revenue Collection: OBR collects various taxes including Income Tax (IR), Value Added Tax (VAT), Employment Income Tax (IRE), Withholding Tax, Rental Income Tax, consumption taxes, and business licenses. Collections are remitted to the Public Treasury.
2. Customs and Excise Duties: Collection of import/export duties, excise taxes on specific goods, and customs fees under the East African Community Common External Tariff framework.
3. Non-Fiscal Revenue Collection: Collection of land property tax and other non-fiscal revenues as repatriated to state fiscal management under OBR starting July 2026.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) is the government revenue collection agency of Burundi, responsible for assessment, collection, and enforcement of taxes (income tax, VAT, withholding tax, employment income tax, rental income tax, consumption taxes, business licenses) and customs duties under the EAC Common External Tariff. OBR delivers these functions through digital platforms including Asycuda World for customs declarations, e-KORI for online tax filing and payment, and EBMS for real-time electronic invoice monitoring, along with taxpayer registration, fraud detection, and VAT reimbursement services. Revenue collected is remitted to the Public Treasury under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance.

Product overview

Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR) operates as a unified government tax and customs administration platform offering multiple integrated digital services. The core product portfolio consists of: (1) Asycuda World for customs declarations, (2) e-KORI (Umutangakori) for online tax filing and payment, (3) EBMS (Electronic Billing Management System) for real-time electronic invoice monitoring, and (4) Document Verification System for authenticity checks. Supporting services include taxpayer registration, VAT reimbursement, tax clearance certificates, fraud detection via hotline (500), and dedicated services for large/medium/small taxpayers. OBR also publishes quarterly statistical bulletins and the 'La Voix du Contribuable' magazine for taxpayer education. The system architecture connects with banking institutions for payment processing and taxpayers' own billing systems for EBMS integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asycuda World Customs management system enabling economic operators to lodge customs declarations electronically, attach accompanying documents, and integrate with East African Community customs procedures under the EAC Common External Tariff framework. Targeted at importers and exporters operating in Burundi.
• e-KORI (Umutangakori) Online Tax Declaration and Payment System
• EBMS - Electronic Billing Management System Electronic billing/invoice management system (Système de facturation électronique) that enables OBR to collect and manage real-time billing data from taxpayers, allowing monitoring of all transactions as they occur. Mandated for public fund managers and their suppliers, with technical specifications for interfacing with taxpayers' own billing systems.
• Document Verification System Online and mobile system for verifying the validity of documents issued by OBR. Includes a web-based verification portal and Android smartphone application (obrverification.apk) to combat document falsification.
• Taxpayer Registration Services Services for taxpayer (contribuable) registration including NIF (Fiscal Identification Number) issuance, taxpayer categorization (large/medium/small taxpayers), and vehicle registration. Used by all categories of taxpayers in Burundi.
• Quitus Fiscal (Tax Clearance Certificate) Tax clearance certificate services for taxpayers, including exemption certificates for various taxes and preferential rates for public procurement. Used by individuals and businesses requiring proof of tax compliance.
• Fraud Detection and Enforcement Services Investigation, intelligence, and risk management services for detecting tax and customs fraud, including seizure procedures, penalties, and anti-smuggling operations. Provided to protect government revenue and ensure compliance.
• TVA Reimbursement Service VAT (TVA) credit refund service for VAT-registered businesses, NGOs, ASBLs, and privileged persons (embassies, international organizations) with credit exceeding 15 million BIF.
• Large Taxpayer Services (Direction des Grands Contribuables) Dedicated services for large taxpayers with annual revenue exceeding 1 billion BIF, including tax collection, audit verification, and revenue reconciliation. Managed by the Direction des Grands Contribuables (DGC) serving 382 entities.
• Medium Taxpayer Services (Direction des Moyens Contribuables) Services for medium-sized taxpayers with annual revenue between 100 million and 1 billion BIF, managing approximately 1,500 taxpayers including 1,200 VAT-registered businesses. Provided by the Direction des Moyens Contribuables (DMC).
• Tax Clinic Mobile Outreach Mobile taxpayer engagement campaigns that visit markets and commercial centers to provide taxpayer support, answer questions, and promote compliance directly at taxpayer locations. Targeted at small and micro taxpayers.
• ABREMA Module - Medication Control Web Base module integrated into customs processes for managing products subject to control by the Burundian Authority for Regulation of Medicines (ABREMA).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2.8 billion BIF recovered through fraud detection in January-April 2020 period
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in East African Community tax administration cooperation. OBR website links to RRA as reference for regional tax harmonization and best practices sharing.
• Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for EAC integration in tax and customs administration. Collaboration on cross-border trade facilitation and regional tax policy harmonization.
• Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAC regional partner for customs and tax administration cooperation. Part of broader East African Community revenue authority network for regional integration.
• East African Community (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional integration framework under which OBR harmonizes tax and customs procedures with EAC partner states. Implements Common External Tariff (TEC) and EAC Customs Management Act.
• Presidency of BurundicoreOthersExecutive oversight relationship. OBR operates under political leadership, with President Evariste Ndayishimiye providing directives on national fiscal policy.
• Ministry of Finance (MFBEN)coreOthersOversee ministry with OBR placed under its supervision. Ministry provides policy direction and budgetary oversight for revenue collection operations.
• Burundi Revenue Authority (BRB)minorOthersCentral Bank of Burundi serves as banking partner and BRB Governor Edouard Normand Bigendako is Vice-President of OBR Board, creating institutional linkage.
• CFCIB (Chambre Fédérale du Commerce et de l'Industrie du Burundi)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBurundi Chamber of Commerce and Industry referenced as private sector partner in strategic planning and taxpayer engagement activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA): ZRA is a comparable sub-Saharan African revenue authority of similar scale and structure to OBR. Both operate integrated tax and customs platforms, segment taxpayers by size, and have pursued digital transformation (ZRA via its TaxOnline platform and Asycuda World). Useful peer for benchmarking modernization trajectories in similarly-sized economies.
• Ethiopia Federal Tax Authority: Ethiopia's Federal Tax Authority is a regional African peer operating in a similarly large but lower-income economy with a large informal sector. It shares OBR's focus on formalizing taxpayers and combating evasion, providing a useful comparator for digital tax administration scaling.
• Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA): MRA is a regional peer revenue authority of broadly similar scale and mandate to OBR. Both operate in low-income African economies with comparable taxpayer bases, run digital filing and Asycuda customs platforms, and share a small headcount relative to mandate size. MRA provides a useful comparative reference point for OBR's modernization journey.

Direct peers

• Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA): RRA is the direct EAC counterpart revenue authority, explicitly referenced by OBR as a regional partner for tax and customs harmonization. Both operate small national tax/customs agencies with electronic filing portals, large/medium/small taxpayer segmentation, and shared cross-border customs procedures under the EAC framework.
• Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA): TRA is another core EAC partner revenue authority explicitly linked on OBR's website. Both agencies operate integrated tax and customs administrations within the EAC Common External Tariff, share cross-border trade data, and have comparable institutional structures (commissioner-led, board-governed, ministry-supervised).
• Uganda Revenue Authority (URA): URA is the third named EAC partner revenue authority directly comparable to OBR. Both implement harmonized EAC customs procedures, operate electronic tax filing and Asycuda World customs systems, and participate in shared cross-border cargo tracking. URA is somewhat larger in scale but serves as a benchmark for capability and modernization.

Broad incumbents

• Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA): GRA is a larger African revenue authority operating integrated tax and customs administration with extensive digital platforms (eTAX, ICUMS). Comparable in mandate and governance structure, GRA's e-filing and electronic customs experience provides a benchmark for OBR's e-KORI and EBMS modernization roadmap.
• Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA): KRA is a larger, more established EAC peer revenue authority with a more developed digital tax and customs platform (iTax, SIMBA). Comparable in mandate and structure, but significantly larger in scale, headcount, and revenue collections, and serves as a regional best-practice benchmark for smaller EAC revenue authorities including OBR.
• South African Revenue Service (SARS): SARS is a much larger African revenue authority operating integrated tax and customs administration at national scale. While far larger and more digitized than OBR, SARS shares the same fundamental mandate (income tax, VAT, customs, large/medium/small taxpayer segmentation) and serves as a continental benchmark for modernization.

Others

• UNCTAD ASYCUDA Programme: UNCTAD's ASYCUDA programme is the underlying technology provider for OBR's customs administration (Asycuda World) and similarly supports dozens of African revenue authorities. While not a competitor, ASYCUDA is the closest enabling technology peer relevant to OBR's customs operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OBR_BI
• Facebookfacebook.com/182LQUbscq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-burundais-des-recettes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Office Burundais des Recettes