By Mike Van Kamande

MSONKHO HOUSE: MRA head office in Blantyre

Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola-Banda says the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is the engine for success of Government’s delivery of an inclusively wealthy nation as envisioned in the Malawi 2063.

Speaking in Blantyre on Tuesday when he toured and interfaced with management and staff of MRA, Chithyola-Banda said without this important resource mobilization hub Malawi development ship can easily sink.

“As you are all aware a good tax administration collects the right amount of revenue under the law in a cost-effective way and will always achieve sound tax policy outcomes and revenue objectives. It also helps reduce taxpayers’ compliance costs and decrease tax administration costs.

“A modernized MRA with a strong organization structure, automated business processes supporting the self-assessment, risk-based compliance programmes, skilled and professional staff acting with fairness, honesty and transparency could assist government in mobilizing resources needed to finance the national budget,” he said.

Chithyola-Banda said technology is also at the core of the management of every modern tax administration and central to the effective administration of taxation systems.

In his remarks MRA Commissioner General John Bizwick said the tax body was not lagging behind in investing in technology in order to deal with increased number of taxpayers and increased amount of information required to manage the complexity of their interactions.

“Digitalization enables the delivery of efficient and effective taxpayer’s compliance processes to achieve high taxpayer compliance. The authority needs political support in enhancing tax compliance and top leaders should be exemplary in tax compliance,” Bizwick said.

He said MRA is promoting voluntary tax compliance and collects 97 percent of Malawi’s tax revenues.

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