MRA partners with media in voluntary tax compliance

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has partnered with various media organizations to enhance voluntary tax compliance in the country. This collaboration has been cemented during a media training session focusing on taxation and various MRA modernisation efforts held in Lilongwe on 22 November 2023.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, MRA Head of Corporate Affairs, Steven Kapoloma said taxation is a technical field and modalities of practice are dynamic requiring well informed media to competently articulate tax issues.

He also highlighted MRA's ongoing efforts to enhance revenue collection and service delivery through tax administration reforms.

“MRA is undertaking various innovative developments to improve the way we are collecting revenue and the way we are providing services.

Msonkho Online, presumptive taxes, Block Management Systems and the soon to be implemented Tax Stamps, are some of the innovative issues we thought of sharing with the media through this training,” Kapoloma explained.

Furthermore, Kapoloma expressed MRA's unwavering commitment to disseminating accurate information to the public through the media.

“MRA will continue to provide the media with feedback on developments taking place at MRA. Since this is a mutual working relationship, we are optimistic that the media will continue to offer the public with timely and factual tax information.

The Media being the Fourth Estate, has a great power and MRA expects the media to play a crucial role in facilitating positive economic growth. We are all citizens and patriotism have to be prime in our respective daily activities, even in the media practice such that paying of tax for national development must always be regarded as a duty to Malawi not a right,” Kapoloma added.

The two-day media training event in Lilongwe drew the participation of 30 media practitioners from prominent organizations including Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Zodiak, Nation Publication, and Times.

BY ALICE MONGORA AND VICTOR MASANJE