MRA in tax compliance campaign
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) on Friday launched Everyone Must Pay Tax Campaign to improve tax compliance among businesses and individuals.
During the campaign period from February to April 2017, MRA officials will engage businesses, civil society organisations and the media directly to help educate people on tax provisions, processes and procedures so that they comply with revenue laws and support domestic tax mobilisation.
MRA has also linked the Office of the Registrar General to new business owners who will later be given a tax paying registration number to enable them to remit taxes.
MRA director of corporate affairs Steven Kapoloma told a news conference in Blantyre on Friday that while government has the responsibility to provide social services to the public, people must also pay taxes in full and on time to finance government’s development programmes.
He said the fluctuating export earnings, uncertain future foreign investment and declining aid flows amid growing need for social services have raised further importance of increasing domestic resources; hence, the need for everyone to pay tax.
“In a country such as Malawi where resources are very limited, tax is a fundamental element of development. We have been relying on donor aid for some time, but over the last two years we have demonstrated that we can stand on our own and provide the much-needed development,” said Kapoloma.
In the six months to December 2016 of the 2016/17 fiscal year, the tax bull has beaten the set target by K37.9 billion or 11 percent, after collecting a total of K377 billion against a target of K339.1 billion.
For the remaining half, MRA expects to collect K386 billion, according to Kapoloma.
Meanwhile, MRA has registered a decline in tax evasion cases in 2016, thanks to compliance by taxpayers. n
