Malawi Revenue Authority meets minibus operators: Scales up awareness for new tax measures,

 The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has conducted regional workshops with bus and minibus owners and operators in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

The workshops were arranged to explain and clarify the new tax measures that were announced by the Government during the last budget sitting of Parliament.

Speaking in Blantyre at the beginning of the workshops, MRA leader of delegation McHizzal Kawanga, said it was very timely and important for MRA to engage the bus and minibus operators in the three cities.

“As MRA we needed to meet these operators to explain and clarify the new tax laws and enable them to make informed decisions on the changes that affect them,” said Kawanga.

He added that MRA had already conducted a media training with business reporters to equip them with the relevant knowledge on the new changes so as to effectively disseminate the messages to the masses.

‘’Thereafter,’’ Kawanga added, ‘MRA will engage employers, financial institutions as well as dairy and cooking oil manufacturers with a view to enhance voluntary tax compliance among them on the new tax measures.

In his remarks, the National Secretary for Minibus Association of Malawi (MOAM), Coxley Kamange, said they were grateful for MRA’s initiative to engage them adding that due to the importance of the workshops, his organization had also extended invitations to other minibus operators from all the districts in each region to attend the workshops.

Among other things, MOAM requested MRA to consider extending the duty free threshold for minibuses from 0 to 12 years so that they can afford purchasing more minibuses and positively contribute to the country’s economic growth.

The meeting in Blantyre attracted MOAM executive members from surrounding districts of Mulanje, Zomba, Chikhwawa, Mangochi, Mwanza, Liwonde and Nsanje, among others These participants were expected to share knowledge gained with fellow operators in those districts.