2002/03 Annual Service Plan Report Ministry of Provincial Revenue

Core Business Areas

The ministry is comprised of three core business areas. The following section provides a description of the key functions, programs and services, and the results achieved by each core business area. The ministry is responsible for the administration of several provincial tax acts and regulations as listed in Appendix A.

Revenue Programs Division

Revenue Programs Division (RPD) is responsible for the administration and collection of tax and natural resource revenues for the province. Revenue programs receive over $15 billion in revenue that is used to support public services for the citizens of British Columbia.

RPD provides fair, efficient, professional and equitable administration of tax, revenue and benefit programs to ensure that government receives the revenue it is due through compliance with taxation, energy and forest revenue statutes. The division promotes voluntary compliance through quality customer service, education and compliance programs. RPD represents British Columbia with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) with respect to the taxation statutes that CCRA administers on behalf of the province, and also handles the collection of taxes for other agencies such as the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, Build BC, local governments and the British Columbia Ferry Corporation (now BC Ferry Services Inc.).

Collection and Loan Management Division

Collection and Loan Management Division (CLM) collects overdue non-tax accounts receivable debts and loans owed to government. Accounts receivable, such as student loans or medical services premiums, arise as ministries provide various services and programs to the public. CLM uses a variety of collection tools and strategies to collect overdue debts and conducts all activities in a fair, professional and equitable manner. The division ensures that public funds are recovered in a cost-effective manner while at the same time ensuring program integrity is maintained.

CLM also administers the Medical Services Plan Temporary Premium Assistance Program that provides assistance where there is undue financial hardship.

The division administers the provincial home owner grant program that provides property tax relief to approximately 950,000 residents of British Columbia and ensures that only eligible British Columbians receive home owner grants by auditing and recovering funds that were paid to ineligible claimants. Local governments and Revenue Programs Division administer the program within their jurisdictions.

Strategic Initiatives and Administration Division

The Strategic Initiatives and Administration Division (SIAD) performs a variety of corporate functions, strategic policy and planning support and a tax appeals function for the ministry. It is responsible for development of the ministry's annual service plan, supports the business planning process for ministry branches, and coordinates a range of corporate initiatives. SIAD manages the ministry's information management/technology (IM/IT) strategic plan and maintains and develops the ministry's complex IM/IT environment — the computers and systems that support ministry business functions. It also handles all ministry financial matters, including preparation of the ministry's annual estimate of revenue, expenditures, capital and financing transactions. SIAD provides a central billing and receivables service to the government's tax and non-tax clients. Finally, it provides an appeals resolution service, conducting impartial analysis of tax and resource revenue appeals, based on principles of fairness and equity.