MRA strategy plan targets stronger domestic revenue for Malawi

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has launched a five-year Corporate Strategic Plan aimed at boosting domestic revenue collection and strengthening Malawi’s ability to finance its own development. Launched on Monday by Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamveka, the 2026 to 2031 plan is expected to help the country raise more resources locally while reducing its dependence on declining donor support. Speaking at the event in Blantyre, Mwanamvekha said the plan provides a clear pathway for modernising revenue collection while reducing the country’s dependence on external support. Mwanamvekha said Malawi could no longer rely heavily on external support to finance its development agenda, especially as donor funding continues to fall because of global economic and geopolitical pressures. He said the strategy’s focus on widening the tax base, improving efficiency, digitisation and evidence-based research would help government mobilise more resources for national development. “Domestic revenue mobilisation is very important because donor support is coming down. Domestic is where to go and also to bring some independence to Malawi,” Mwanamvekha said. He said changes brought by regional and continental trade arrangements could also reduce reliance on customs revenue, making domestic taxation increasingly important. “Customs will be shrinking, depending now more on domestic. So domestic is very important for us,” he said. The minister said stronger domestic revenue would enable government to finance the national budget, Malawi 2063 and the National Economic Recovery Plan with greater independence. MRA Commissioner General Felix Tambulasi said the authority’s success in implementing the strategy would depend on having the right people and systems in place. “The first thing that has to be in place are the right people,” Tambulasi said. He said MRA would review its human resource structure and systems to ensure they can effectively deliver the ambitions contained in the strategy. “People and systems are the things that we have to make sure that we are constantly looking at and interrogating to make sure that when we come to 2031, the aspirations that are reflected in the strategy are achieved,” Tambulasi said. Tambulasi said MRA is targeting a gradual increase in the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio from the current 16 percent towards 20 percent by 2031. He acknowledged that reaching the target would not be easy but said the authority would measure success through continuous improvement. The strategy is expected to benefit Malawi by strengthening the country’s domestic financing base at a time when donor support is declining and government faces growing pressure to fund development from locally generated resources. The plan also targets a more efficient tax system through digitisation, wider taxpayer participation and improved compliance.