By Edwin Mauluka
Local businesses have petitioned the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to halt the rollout of its new Electronic Tax Invoicing System (EIS), citing high costs, technical complexity and privacy concerns.
The EIS is a software-based platform designed to enable taxpayers to issue electronic tax invoices, manage stock records and transmit transaction data to MRA in real time.
On Thursday morning, local business owners, alongside members of the Small Scale Business Importers and Exporters Association, marched to MRA headquarters in Blantyre to deliver a petition opposing the system, which is scheduled to be introduced on February 1, 2026.
Secretary General for Limbe Indigenous Shop Owners, Chisomo Rodger, said most small-scale traders lack the technical capacity required to operate the system.
“Many of us running businesses are not educated, and this system requires computer knowledge that we simply don’t have,” she said. “It also needs reliable internet connectivity, yet internet access in Malawi is very poor. This will force us to hire someone to operate the system on our behalf, which we cannot afford.”
Rodger also said traders are uncomfortable with the level of information required under the EIS, including details on business start dates and sources of start-up capital.
“They want to know when we started our businesses and where we got our capital from. That is very personal information,” she said. “What if someone obtained that information and it caused problems? That information should remain confidential.”
In response, MRA Commissioner of Domestic Taxes Grey Balawe said the Authority would review the concerns raised in the petition before issuing a public response.
“After receiving the petition, we will submit the issues to the Commissioner General. We will sit down, discuss them and respond to the public as soon as possible,” Balawe said.
On July 31, 2025, MRA announced the transition from Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) to the Electronic Tax Invoicing System following the enactment of Part II of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2024, which formally establishes EIS for issuing tax invoices and maintaining stock records.
The Authority later declared January 31, 2026, as the end of the transition period, following the publication of the Value Added Tax (Electronic Invoicing System) Regulations, 2025, on January 9, 2026.
Under the transition guidelines, taxpayers were required to migrate from EFDs to EIS starting August 2, 2025, by acquiring the EIS or integrating their existing systems, registering on the EIS taxpayer portal and uploading stock records.
MRA has warned that EFDs will no longer be permitted for issuing tax invoices after the deadline and that any invoices generated using EFDs beyond that date will not be valid for claiming input tax.
“Taxpayers are expected to familiarise themselves with EIS requirements and take the necessary steps to comply within the stipulated time frame,” reads part of a notice signed by MRA Commissioner General Felix Kingstone Tambulasi. “Failure to comply will attract sanctions as prescribed under the tax laws.”
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