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By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza
The country’s main tax administration, The Malawi Revenue Authority [MRA] has today launched the toll free line that is aimed at easing communication the authority and taxpayers in the country.
Head of corporate affairs for the Authority, Steven Kapoloma told journalists during the launching ceremony in Blantyre that the service was one way of complementing MRA’s existing public engagement mechanism that ranges from direct interaction with the authority’s online presence including the Tip-Off Anonymous number 847.
“Despite our presence, we have been receiving feedback from members of the general public regarding their proximity challenges to our stations when it comes to swift access of information. It is therefore against gap that has prompted us to reach out to more taxpayers and members of the general public,” said Kapoloma.
Kapoloma further said that the authority has engaged three service providers namely: airtel, TNM and MTL for the initiative.
The toll free number is 672 for mobile phone users and 8000672 for those using MTL lines.
Commenting on the initiative, the Blantyre -based business lady Mway i Kambuwa said the toll free line will among others; reduce distance, time and cost that taxpayers take to access the tax inquiries at the MRA offices.
Kambuwa however urged the tax body to observe confidential on the customers using the facility so as to make it success
Among others, Kapoloma also express his delight on the performance of the know your customer exercise the authority is currently running, saying the exercise has so far received 17,524 KYC forms.
He said the exercise has updated 15,772 that are ready for Msonkho online.
The know your customer {KYC} exercise is aimed at updating taxpayer records. The exercise is a precursor to the rollout of Msonkho Online, a modern computer system that automates end –to-end tax processes.
“We will be launching Msonkho Online by next year which will automate our transactions to be online. As such, it will be necessary to do business with the fresh details required by this exercise,” said Kapoloma.
According to Kapoloma, the authority has now 28,208 active taxpayers.
The Malawi revenue Authority {MRA} is responsible for tax administration and it has 32 stations spread across the country.
