MRA PUSHES FOR TAX STAMP COMPLIANCE

In a bid to enhance compliance on excise tax stamp (Kalondola), the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is pondering intensify efforts to inspect manufacturers, importers and distributors of excisable goods in the country to check if the law is being applied.

In preparation for this exercise, the Authority recently conducted a training for over forty officers drawn from across the country in Lilongwe. The training was intended to equip the officers with skills on how they can competently trace and authenticate counterfeit products from genuine stamp affixed products on the market.

Speaking at the start of the training, Steve Kuntembwe, Project Manager for Excise Tax Stamps, said it is mandatory for all listed excisable goods to be affixed with valid tax stamps to enable traceability and authentication of excisable products throughout the supply chain.

“A stamp serves as a proof of compliance with excise duty obligation and we have noted that there is a need to visit the market to assess if the Kalondola regime is being complied with,’’ Kunthembwe said.

He further noted that, upon conducting random inspections in some Lilongwe and Blantyre townships, it was observed that some few suppliers are not yet registered in the Kalondola system.

‘’This means that a small portion of the tax stamps found in shops have not been activated yet,’’ he lamented.

Kuntembwe, therefore, encouraged the participants to work towards bridging the information and knowledge gap traders have on the concept.

A tax stamp (Kalondola) is a physical sticker or a digital seal on a product to indicate that excise tax has been paid. The stamp is affixed on assorted excisable products including bottled water, energy drinks, malt beer, opaque beer, spirits, whiskies, drinks made from cereals like maheu and carbonated soft drinks, among others.

BY BETHSAIDA MSOWOYA