MRA rolls out digital tax stamping to curb illicit trade and smuggling

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) on Friday, May 10, 2024, launched the much-awaited Extended Excise Tax Stamps Regime (digital stamping) to bolster the tracking and tracing of excise tax payments. This development follows the amendment of the Customs and Excise Act (2021).

MRA Deputy Commissioner General, Henry Ngutwa, told the news conference in Blantyre that the initiative, which commenced on May 1, 2024, aims to curb smuggling, illicit trade, and safeguard local manufacturers.

Ngutwa adds, “MRA has the duty to protect society from consuming hazardous products, which the tax stamps will greatly assist as people will be assured of legitimate products on the market.

“The highest cost of the tax stamps is MK32, while the lowest is MK12, targeting tobacco, alcoholic beverages, beer, carbonated drinks, and bottled water products.”

The Excise Tax Stamps Regime was gazetted in January 2024 and has now been fully implemented as of May 1, 2024.

The development comes after MRA, in September 2023, signed a contract on the excise of tax stamps with SICPA after a robust tender process.

An enhanced excise tax stamp is a highly secure sticker or label affixed or printed directly using special ink on an excisable product.

SICPA is a world-renowned supplier of enhanced tax stamps and a digital tax stamp management system used by government authorities for nationwide control of supply chains involved with the production, import, export, and distribution of excise products.

Currently, Governments in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda are implementing digital tax stamps using SICPA solutions.

The extension of excise tax stamps in Malawi will widely assist in monitoring the supply chain of specified excisable goods, detect infiltrations by illicit flows, and protect local manufacturing industries from unfair competition that comes with counterfeits and smuggled products.

“We are protecting Malawians from consuming bad products and at the same time promoting local manufacturing companies against influx of fake products,” he added.

The Deputy Commissioner General said Malawi relies on revenue mobilisation by the MRA such that implementation of excise tax stamps was the way to go, adding that the public has the role to playing in the implementation of Kalondola whose moto is; Stamp It, Stand Out.

“We are moving with time in mobilizing revenue,”he said, adding that the MRA would raise public awareness on the introduction of Kalondola so that the public should participate in making the initiative a success by reporting non-compliance and by using 365 App on smart phones to verify authenticity of products.