Rail will boost tax revenue—MRA
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has said the Beira-Marka railway rehabilitation will double trade between Malawi and other countries in the region resulting in more revenue for the tax collector.
MRA marketing communications manager Wilma Chalulu said this Wednesday during a media tour of editors to some of its establishments, including the Marka Nyathando-Customs and Excise Border Post facility in Nsanje District.
She said once fully operational imports and export traffic will increase on the about 400-kilometre rail line that links landlocked Malawi with the bustling port of Beira in Mozambique.
Said Chalulu: “The railway rehabilitation currently underway in Marka to Bangula offers great opportunity for trade. As MRA, we are excited about this development and we are preparing proper systems, infrastructure and building capacity of staff so that the country should fully benefit from it.”
She said already some railway construction from China are arriving in the country through the rail line.
“We also recently received a consignment of molasses for production of ethanol through the line.
“The first consignment was offloaded at Villa Nova rail station on the Malawi-Mozambique border. While the most recent consignment arrived at Marka,” Chalulu said.
During the tour, media practitioners also appreciated the recently completed Marka-Bangula Road which was fully-funded locally by the taxpayers.
Taking his turn, the country’s Editors Forum secretary general Gracian Tukula said the tour is timely since it provides the necessary insights and foresight for editors to fully understand MRA operations and taxation issues.
“That knowledge is important because it helps us make informed decisions when conceiving and pitching stories related to tax administration in the country,” Tukula said.
