MRA holds workshop to review BMS performance

The Commissioner General of the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), John Biziwick, has underscored the need for members of staff in MRA to work extra hard and collect more revenue to finance various Government development projects.

Biziwick made the call recently in Mangochi when MRA organized a three-day review workshop on the performance of Block Management System (BMS).

He observed that even though the performance of BMS was excellent, he noted that there were some minor operational issues that were hindering the system to realize its full potential.

He added that it was for that reason that MRA decided to hold the workshop so that officers especially those working in the blocks should come together and brainstorm on how BMS can fully achieve the objectives for which it was established.

“Recently, I personally toured some stations to appreciate and assess how BMS is performing. Some of the reports needed to be tabled at an all-inclusive forum for discussion and map the way forward hence this workshop, added Biziwick.

In his response, the Commissioner Domestic Taxes, Gray Balawe, assured the Commissioner General that officers at the workshop will identify weak areas and find common solutions to address the challenges BMS was facing.

Which is why, added Balawe, MRA had invited all officers working in the blocks across the country to a round table to find collective remedies affecting BMS.

Block Management System was introduced in 2021 in MRA to physically identify and map taxpayers and break them down into manageable blocks in order to allow the Authority to visit and educate taxpayers in their respective blocks and increase voluntary tax compliance.

Meanwhile, MRA has registered over 5, 455 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs into the tax net. This has resulted in increased revenue collection.

BMS offices are in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu and plans are underway to establish BMS offices in Zomba and other key business and trading centres across the country soon.

BY MC HIZZAL KAWANGA