Mwanamvekha: MRA is the “engine room of the nation” as five-year plan launches

Malawi’s tax authority has been hailed as the “engine room of the nation” after raking in a jaw-dropping K1.40 trillion in tax revenue in a single quarter, as government officials unveiled an ambitious five-year strategy aimed at supercharging the country’s finances.

Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha officially launched the Malawi Revenue Authority’s (MRA) Corporate Strategic Plan 2026-2031, describing the blueprint as nothing less than a “social and economic contract” between government and ordinary Malawians — one that will determine how money is raised to fund schools, clinics, roads and vital public services.

Addressing the launch, Mwanamvekha praised MRA’s staggering quarterly haul, insisting the new five-year roadmap would push for aggressive revenue mobilisation, a dramatically expanded tax base, smarter risk-based compliance, full digital transformation and significantly improved service for taxpayers.

“MRA staff, taxpayers and development partners must work together, the strategy must not remain a document on a shelf but must translate into real improvements for Malawians,” the Minister declared, as he formally launched the plan.

Authority hit 99% of targets under previous strategy

MRA Board Chairperson MacFussy Kawawa revealed the authority had delivered an impressive average revenue performance of around 99 percent under its outgoing strategy — smashing targets outright in four of the previous six years.

Building on that momentum, the new plan will zero in on widening the tax net, embracing digital transformation and data-driven decision-making, tightening risk-based compliance, boosting taxpayer services, strengthening governance structures and rebuilding public trust in the tax system.

Kawawa was blunt about what comes next, warning that the plan’s success hinges entirely on implementation, accountability and a genuine sense of ownership among MRA staff.

He urged both management and employees to hit the ground running in year one with “urgency, discipline and a strong focus on measurable results.”

The launch marks a pivotal moment for Malawi’s public finances, with the authority now under pressure to translate its blockbuster quarterly revenue figures into a sustained, long-term funding engine for the country’s development ambitions.