Business came to a standstill in Mzuzu City yesterday as traders closed shops and halted trade to protest introduction of Electronic Invoicing System (EIS) that the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) planned to roll out from February 1.
From around 9am, Katoto ground was a hive of activity as traders flocked to the starting point before setting off on a march to MRA offices via the M1.
Carrying placards, chanting and dancing, the protesters displayed messages rejecting a system they say threatens their survival.
Police officers were present throughout, largely confining themselves to regulating traffic and ensuring the demonstration did not spill into disorder.
By noon, representatives of the traders read out a petition at the MRA offices, calling for the withdrawal of the system and accusing the tax authority of imposing it without consultation.
Speaking in an interview, Northern Business Community chairperson Chembe Kasambala said traders only learnt about the new system when they were expected to start using it.
He said: “We were not consulted on the EIS. MRA just imposed it on us. We should continue using the current electronic fiscal devices [EFD], which better matches the current market situation, including persistent forex shortages and unreliable supply chains.”
The traders argue that the proposed system assumes a level of formality that does not exist in much of the economy. They cite limited education and capacity, documentation gaps within supply chains, poor internet infrastructure and broader economic pressures as major obstacles to implementation.
Receiving the petition, MRA Mzuzu deputy station manager Robert Nyirongo said the concerns will be referred to the commissioner general’s office.
However, MRA has disputed claims that the system was introduced without engagement.
In a separate interview, MRA spokesperson Wilma Chalulu said consultations were conducted with business operators before the decision was made.
She added that MRA has since suspended implementation of the EIS from the initial February 1 date to May 1 2026 to allow more time for awareness among affected stakeholders.
Despite the postponement, traders in Mzuzu said their opposition remains firm and have given the Office of the Commissioner General 10 days to respond to their petition.
The march in Mzuzu followed a similar one in Blantyre last Thursday.
Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira said the traders’ concerns carry significant weight, saying: “Tax reforms that directly alter compliance costs and daily business operations cannot be legitimate if those affected only learn about them after the decision is already made.”
In an earlier interview, EK Tax Consultants senior tax consultant Emmanuel Kaluluma said there was no need for the traders to be scared because government was only working to bring them into the tax net correctly, without overcharging or undercharging them.
MRA said EFDs have become costly to maintain because they rely on File Transfer Protocol and mobile SIM cards to transmit summarised data, prompting the decision to phase them out.
The EIS, on the other hand, is designed to issue electronic invoices, manage stock records and transmit transaction data to MRA in real time.
