The
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is expected to roll out the implementation of
Eskort Audit Support Upgrade, which transitions the system from a standard to a
professional.
This
will commence in January 2025. Large Taxpayer Office (LTO) Manager Dziwani
Fatch, announced the roll out of the system upgrade during a series of
consultative meetings MRA conducted in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu with
taxpayers that operate under LTO.
He
explained that Eskort, a Computer-Assisted Audit Tool (CAAT), will serve as the
backbone of MRA’s tax audit operations that will enable auditors to manage case
files, execute audits and analyze risks.
He added that the professional-level upgrade will enhance its
functionalities thus allowing greater efficiency and flexibility in managing
taxpayer information.
“The
system can interface with other systems and will eventually provide a platform
for taxpayers in future,’’ said Fatch adding that an audit case will hold all
data related to a taxpayer including reports, notes and other relevant
information.
He
went on to say that time registration will also be incorporated for every
process including approvals, ensuring that all audits are standardized and that
the system reduces the time run for concluding audits. This will allow
taxpayers to focus more on running their businesses.
The
new system once operational will offer enhanced flexibility by accessing data
from various formats such as databases, PDFs, text files, CSV and Excel and
will further integrate with taxpayers’ systems via an IP address.
BY WADZA OTOMANI