We refer to Mr Tan Kin Lian’s feedback (“Submitting e-invoice not so Easy”, 8th June 2013).

Vendors@Gov is a central portal that allows suppliers to submit their electronic invoices to any Government agencies for payment. It has brought about greater convenience and benefits for suppliers. It eliminates the problem of invoices lost in transit and helps reduce the incidence of late payment to the suppliers. More than one million e-invoices are submitted via Vendors@Gov annually.

The e-Services Authorisation System (EASY) is an online system that allows organisations to authorise their employees or third parties to access a wide range of government e-Services on their behalf. Organisations need the Access Code - a unique password - to access EASY. This is necessary to safeguard suppliers’ interests and prevent fraud. The application process for the Access code is a one-time process and users can either follow the e-guide provided on the IRAS website or call the IRAS helpline for assistance. Thereafter, suppliers can authorise their employees to submit electronic invoices on the company’s behalf.

In Mr Tan’s case, he applied for an Access Code on 6 May 2013 for his company. The Access Code was mailed to his company’s registered address the next day. When Mr Tan subsequently informed IRAS that he did not receive the Access Code, IRAS arranged a replacement Access Code to be delivered to him again.

Mr Tan was not able to log in with the Access Code because the latest Java application was not installed on his computer and the issue was resolved with the help of an IRAS officer. This requirement to have the necessary Java application is stated on the webpage of EASY.

Since the introduction of electronic invoicing in 2008, many suppliers have found Vendors@Gov simple and easy to use. All they need is a computer with internet connectivity and it takes only a few minutes to complete the submission of an electronic invoice to any Government agency. Suppliers can also choose to do a one-time setup to allow them to upload their invoices directly from their accounting systems to Vendors@Gov. Mr Tan can contact AGD Helpdesk at (http://app.helpdesk.agd.gov.sg/public_user/vendor/vendor/helpdesk.aspx) should he require this service.

We thank Mr Tan for his feedback.