RFA introduces Road Access Fee, MRA to collect
From November 1, 2017, all motorists issued with a Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) by the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) will be required to pay Road Access Fee- Road User Charge (RUC) as they enter Malawi.
The announcement was made on Tuesday September 19, 2017, at the MRA headquarters in Blantyre during a press conference that was organized by the Road Fund Administration (RFA) in conjunction with MRA.
“Government recently approved that RFA should levy a fee called Road Access Fee (RAF). The fee is applicable on all foreign registered small vehicles such as saloons, pickups, wagons and all such vehicles that are currently not paying International Transit Fee (ITF) including motor cycles and trailers. Therefore, from 1 November 2017, all such parties will be required to pay a fixed rate of $20,” said RFA Director of Finance Mr. Alexander Makhwatha.
Mr. Makhwatha further said the fee has been introduced to enable RFA carry out its main function of developing road infrastructure in Malawi.
“Our core function is to mobilise resources for the maintenance of public roads. Roads are expensive and need to be maintained, we believe the introduction of the RAF will go a long way in improving road infrastructure in Malawi” said Mr. Makhwatha.
Also speaking at the function, MRA’s Assistant Revenue Manager Mrs. Akonda Supuni- Yakobe said MRA is upbeat on collecting the RAF.
“We are very ready to collect the Road Access Fees. We both have the capacity and expertise to facilitate these fees” said Mrs. Yakobe.
She added that RAF is just an extension of toll fees that MRA is already collecting on behalf of RFA and therefore collecting the new fees will not be a new challenge for the Authority.
“The process of collecting RAF is not all that different from that of collecting Toll Fees. As transporters pay for TIP forms which MRA officers issue, they will be issued with 2 invoices one for Toll fees and the other for RAF. The fees will be paid at the bank just like the toll fees are paid,” she added.
Mrs. Yakobe also urged the road users to keep the bank receipts on them every time they are travelling on the roads of Malawi for purposes of verification and to avoid being fined a penalty of $500 per vehicle on the spot, if not found in possession of the receipts.
The project is estimated to cumulatively collect $400,000 every year.
BY EMMA MWASINGA
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