Cybernetica, in cooperation with EY, will begin preliminary work to set out a path to replace the register of taxable persons of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (ETCB). The project is funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by EY and its subcontractor Cybernetica in cooperation with the European Commission’s DG REFORM.
"The aim of the project is to map the condition of the foundation upon which the state’s vital services have been built. This way we can find out what needs to be done to ensure simple and convenient services for taxpayers and their development in the future," said Anni Uibu, business architect of the ETCB. "We expect to see an action plan, necessary impact analyses and risk assessments from our cooperation partners. ETCB will make further decisions based on the project outcomes.”
The register of taxable persons was built in 1998. Its purpose was to collect data for the execution of tasks arising from tax and other laws, to keep records to check the correctness of tax payments, and to determine and collect taxes.
"Now it has become a complex and voluminous register that brings together various IT systems and sub-registers, it is a large monolithic system. EY's task is to analyse the entire system as a whole – both from a business and IT perspective, and to determine if all the processes and data are still in regular use. The ultimate goal would be to find a solution for dividing one large monolithic system into smaller pieces, i.e., a modular solution based on microservices. Thanks to an architecture that consists of “Lego blocks”, the future system will be more agile and user-friendly, while also being able to adapt to constantly changing circumstances," said Raivo Ruusalepp from EY Estonia's consulting department. EY is the project leader and is analysing the business perspective of the register’s redesign.
"During our long-term and successful cooperation with the ETCB, we have gained a good overview of the client's systems and needs, which makes it easier for us to carry out this project," commented Urmo Braun, project manager of Cybernetica's Tax and Customs Information Systems Department. "Cybernetica’s task in the project is to analyse the interrelationships of ETCB’s business objects in the register of taxable persons and propose a strategic plan for breaking up the monolithic information system and a new information systems architecture," said Braun.
Cybernetica's experience spanning over 20 years in the development of customs information systems has created a good foundation for being a system development partner of the ETCB.
The project is made possible by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) who helps EU Member States design and implement structural reforms. The project will be completed by September 2024.
Cybernetica has long-term experience in the development of complex information systems with strong security requirements, whose competence includes the entire software development: preliminary, business and system analysis, development, testing, implementation and maintenance. EY Estonia's Consulting Department has extensive experience in designing digital services and helping companies grow and optimize their business operations.