Image: UNICEF
The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) anticipates to realise over K1billion in revenues lost through smuggling once it rolls out its drone border surveillance mid-this year.
The authority’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Steven Kapoloma, disclosed this to MBC ahead of the system’s rollout.
MRA is introducing the sky monitoring system, hoping to apprehend traders who import goods through unchartered routes.
For many years, the Authority has been losing millions of Kwacha through tax evasion, especially smuggling.
Apart from traders’ undervaluing and under-declaring when clearing goods at the borders, the major loss has been through those that bring goods using uncharted routes into the country.
“Last year we were able to intercept K1.3billion worth of revenue that would have otherwise been lost if we were not doing our patrols and our anti-smuggling activities,” Kapoloma said.
Although the authority has ground patrol teams, Kapoloma indicates that they face challenges such as high operational costs as well as communities shielding smugglers.
“We have equipped ourselves with knowledge and skills on how to operate the drones, as at now we have over 15 pilots in the Malawi Revenue Authority now that have been trained on how to fly these drones,” Kapoloma said.
He added that they are expecting to have the system operational by end of June.
In this era, drones have gone beyond being used as tools in videography to carrying medical samples and drugs in remote areas and checking wildlife crimes.
