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Mozambique, Malawi strengthen cooperation in tax matters
7:19 CAT | 12 May 2017
Malawi Times (File photo) / Mozambique and Malawi have a length of 1,569 kilometres of common border, with a total of 16 border posts
The tax authorities in Mozambique and Malawi signed a memorandum of understanding in Maputo Thursday establishing the basis for bilateral cooperation in tax administration matters in the context of the exchange of customs information, APA can report. The agreement was formalised on Thursday in Maputo by the chairperson of Mozambican Revenue Authority, Amelia Nankhare, and her Malawian counterpart, Tom Gray Malata.
Mozambique and Malawi have a length of 1,569 kilometres of common border, with a total of 16 border posts, six of which have a more intense activity between the two countries regarding the movement of people and goods.
Speaking on the occasion, Nakhare said the MoU was framed in the context of the two countries’ key challenges in order to optimise the collection of tax revenue.
“With Malawi as our partner, we believe that our long experience of mutual collaboration, based on the memorandum signed in 2001 in the customs context, will be maximised through broader actions within the tax administration in general.”
According to Nakhare, the country’s expectation is that institutional cooperation will include the modernisation of the tax administration, human technical training in order to bring advantages in improving the level of expertise of the two countries’ technicians through the exchange of experience and mutual support.
The issue of tightening up joint cooperation mechanisms to combat cross-border fraud is a priority for the tax authorities.
Nakhare said the Malawi transit goods display system, through the Single Electronic Window installed and operating in Malawi, for example, represents a key milestone in tackling adverse situations, which arise from the import and export process. Export of goods, in particular goods in transit.
“We reiterate our commitment to the continued support of neighbouring Malawi in the process of facilitating trade through our ports of entry and exit to the international market.”
However, Nankhare continued, there was a weak cross-border trade between the two countries and, in order to reverse the situation, it was the responsibility of the customs authorities to implement facilitation measures, hence the importance of implementing the concept of One Stop Borders.
The new concept, according to the Nankhare, can boost the circulation of people and goods, along with the development of mechanisms to simplify customs procedures for small importers and exporters.
Tom Gray Malata said that the memorandum, in addition to enhancing cooperation between the two tax authorities, will allow the adoption of good practices and the development of common approaches to combat the most varied forms of tax offences.
Source: APA
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