EFD campaign launched with pomp
The Malawi Revenue Authority joined by chiefs, businesses persons, consumers, members of Parliament led by the Mayor of Blantyre City, His Lordship Noel Chalamanda, on Friday 15 July 2016, officially launched the Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) Lisiti Langa awareness campaign in Limbe.
The launch started with a big walk headlined by the Malawi Police Band from Limbe Post Office to the roundabout at Illovo down Masauko Chipembere Highway and back.
In her welcoming remarks, the MRA Board Chairperson, Evelyn Mwapasa, said every consumer must always demand and EFD receipt after every transaction to ensure that due VAT collected should go into the Government purse.
“For your information, right now there are over 10,000 EFDs that have been bought and are in currently in use by all VAT registered businesses and this has enabled the Government to collect more revenue,’’ she said adding that for us to collect even more we need to demand EDF receipts.
‘’It is, therefore, your duty to check and verify if indeed the goods on the EFD receipt match with what you have bought,” she said.
Consumer Association of Malawi Executive Director, John Kapito, emphasized that it is the right of the consumer to demand a receipt after every business transaction.
“The EFD system is there to ascertain that the VAT does not go into someone’s pocket but to Government for development of roads, schools, buying of drugs in our hospitals and we must always get the receipts,” Kapito said.
In his statement, Mayor Chalamanda urged MRA to intensify inspections and VAT registrations in cities, markets and many other places of doing business so that everybody is registered to contribute towards national development.
“This will bring more people into tax net and also cement the culture of always demanding for EFD receipts,’’ he stressed.
“I personally call on all VAT registered businesses to use EFDs and issue fiscal receipts at all times and without any malice. I am saying this because these malpractices are illegal and attract hefty penalties apart from jail sentences,” the Mayor cautioned.
A representative of Blantyre and Limbe business community, Ali Mohamed, pledged that they sustain compliance with tax laws. He expressed gratitude to MRA for maintaining constant contact with the community on taxation matters and wished that this should continue.
BY HENRY MCHAZIME
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