What is E-TRACS?
E-TRACS stands for Enhanced Tax Revenue Assessment and Collection System. It is an intgerated software system that automates the collection of revenues in the local government units. Currently, the project has three types of configuration - City, Province and Municipality.
E-TRACS is not a brand or trademark. It is the name of the project to represent a comprehensive and integrated revenue assessment and collection system.It is an open source project available ONLY to local government units complete with source code and documentation. The project is designed, developed and maintained solely by Rameses Systems Inc.
Our Vision
We envision the E-TRACS project to become the standard system for local government unit operations in the field of tax revenue assessment and collection.
Our Mission
- To introduce a comprehensive and integrated tax and revenue collection system that will make the local government units highly efficient enabling them to provide better service to its constituents;
- To introduce a better way of administration to all local government units and provide better control measures to prevent fraud and corruption.
- To ensure sustianability of the project through excellent support services and effective knowledge transfer.
- To offer the local government units an alternative method to acquire the system and provide complete freedom of choice of implementation;
Architecture
The software is developed using java/J2EE and can run on a wide range of operating system platforms and databases. E-TRACS is a software platform built on small software modules called plugins. The core package is composed of 3 modules :
- Real Property Tax Assessment
- Business Permit and Licensing
- Collection modules.
Additional plugins can be added or removed depending on the lgu’s requirements.
History
The original project was called TRACS (Tax Revenue Assessment and Collection System) built using Microsoft VB and SQL Server. The development started in 2000 as a component project of an AusAid-funded program PRMDP (Philippine regional and Municipal Development Program ). 5 cities were recipients of the project namely - Tagbilaran, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, General Santos and Iligan. The project was turned over to the Philippine government in 2002 however, the development was extended for another year to complete the remaining requirements and fix issues that were not addressed.
The TRACS project enjoyed ample success due to the fact that the recipient LGUs are still using the system until today. However because of its limitations and inability to run on different platforms, coupled with the additional costs in software and user licensesand other hidden manufactured costs, TRACS development was discontinued.
In 2007, the project was fully recoded in java using J2EE technologies and open source components and renamed to E-TRACS. Initiated through another AusAid-funded project LGDP (Local Governnance Development Program), it was designed as a pilot project to provide the ability to allow online communication between local government units within the province to expedite exchange of information. E-TRACS is mainly designed using a distributed architecture. Recipients were province of Bohol and municipalities of Maribojoc, and municipalities of Oton and Leganes of Iloilo.
E-TRACS was rolled out to several more LGUs for another AusAid-funded project LAMP2 (Land Administration Management Project) in 2009.To know more about the E-TRACS implementations, click here.
The Business Model
E-TRACS core package is a free software and there are no software or user licenses, or any hidden costs. Local government units have the choice of implemetation whether to use full open source implementatiion like linux/mysql stack or continue using commercial software like microsoft / sql server depending on their level of expertise.
To sustain the project, our revenues are generated through services like consultancy, implementation, trainings, development of additional modules and requirements , maintenance and support. The business model is quite similar to the open source initiative of the National Computer Center (NCC), however with a commercial open source company backing the product instead of the government.
The project website is located at www.etracs.org.
