Pay your tax in installment: Malawi vehicle importers told
The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has given owners of about 190 motor vehicles currently lying at Songwe Boarder for failing to pay duty a lifeline by asking them to settle their outstanding dues in installments.
Recently, MRA placed advertisement in the local newspapers advising owners of all vehicles that had overstayed at the boarder to clear them or they would be auctioned.
MRA Commissioner General, John Bizwick, said the authority had given owners an allowance to clear their motor vehicles using the said facility.
“Following the recent advert in the local newspapers by Trust Auctioneers and Estate Agents (TAEA) to sell uncleared motor vehicles at Songwe Border post by public auction, we are informing the owners of the vehicles that there is a facility that allows an importer to clear a motor vehicle by instalments subject to conditions that they apply for initial payment of 50 percent of the assessed duties by June 20, 2013,” he said.
“Those interested should write to me before June 20, 2013 applying for the facility. There is a provision that allows for this,” explained Bizwick.
The MRA head, however, said the facility also has some conditions one of which requires the importer to first pay a minimum amount of 50 percent of the total amount assessed by the authority.
The importers will also be required to pay interests accumulated from the day of the first installment under the standing rate of the Kwacha as indicated by commercial banks and the balance must be cleared within three months of initial payment date.
“Upon satisfying these steps the owner can retrieve his or her vehicle if there is a bank guarantee by the importer,” added Bizwick.
Failure to fulfill the requirements, Bizwick said MRA will still keep the vehicles in custody and it reserves the right to sell the vehicles if the balance remains unpaid within the agreed period.
The vehicles that were advertised to be auctioned were those that had been at Songwe Boarder since December 31, 2012.
The public tax collector operates as a government tax administration agency under the Ministry of Finance.
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