During the 2016/17financial year, rewards amounting K45 million were disbursed to various patriotic citizens who reported suspected cases of smuggling, tax fraud and evasion.

One successful informant received accumulated rewards amounting to K2.8 million.

In view of this, MRA has urged members of the general public to report any suspected cases of smuggling, tax fraud and evasion and get a reward while at the same time enabling the Government to collect more revenue and provide essential services such as health, education, justice, security and other various developmental projects.

MRA introduced Deloitte Tip-Offs Anonymous Service and Informant Scheme to enable members of the general public to report suspected cases of tax fraud, evasion, bribery, smuggling and dishonesty.

The rewards range from a minimum of 10% of the taxes recovered to a maximum of K500,000.

To use the service, members of the general public are required to dial a toll free number 847 for Airtel, Access and TNM subscribers or 80000847 for MTL subscribers. Informants can also send their tips to the Centre through email address: reportswqm@tip-offs.com or fax to 0182 229. They can also send their tips through the following postal address for free (no stamp required): The Call Centre, P.O Box 1726, Blantyre.

Informants should provide the date, time, location, the people involved or the amount of revenue involved to ensure that thorough follow-ups are made

No personal details are required but a four or five digit code number of any choice like 2145 or 52212, for proper identification. Code numbers of successful tips are published on monthly basis in high circulation newspapers and the reward is given confidentially without the receiver and giver seeing one another.

BY HENRY MCHAZIME