President Lazarus Chakwera has announced a series of sweeping policy reforms aimed at strengthening tax compliance and eliminating long-standing malpractice in revenue collection.
Speaking at the Malawi Revenue Authority’s (MRA) silver jubilee celebrations in Lilongwe, President Chakwera revealed that the government will abolish all cash payments for taxes and public services within five years as part of efforts to curb financial abuse in public offices.
He also disclosed plans to deploy tax compliance agents to retail shops and service centres to ensure customers receive receipts for transactions. In addition, government will introduce annual tax compliance certificates—a reward system that will enable compliant taxpayers to access discounts on key services such as water, electricity, and toll fees.
“These are serious policy shifts, coming in less than two months. The principle is simple—self-reliance. Malawi has the potential to generate enough revenue to finance its own budget, but we need robust systems to unlock that potential for national development,” Chakwera said.
The President also announced that he has appointed Vitumbiko Mumba, Minister of Trade and Industry, to accelerate the implementation of the reforms.
