Mozambique collects more than $5.4 billion in tax revenue since January

Mozambique has collected more than 350 billion meticais (over US$5.4 billion) in tax revenue since January, authorities announced on Wednesday. “These results reflect not only numbers, but the sacrifice, resilience and professionalism of teams who, even in the face of challenges, remained focused on delivering results,” said the president of the Mozambique Tax Authority, Aníbal Mbalango, quoted by the media. The tax authority president, speaking in Maputo during the launch of a book containing a historical and statistical summary of taxation in Mozambique between 1975 and 2024, also said that the collection levels achieved were the result of measures favourable to taxpayers’ convenience and the motivation of the authority’s employees.

Mbalango said, on the other hand, that the increase in revenue collection was driven by strategic action, with emphasis on strengthening tax audits and greater control of Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds. He also announced that the Tax Authority had assigned 406,343 new Tax Identification Numbers (NUIT) to individuals and businesses this year, reaffirming its commitment to the digitisation of tax services in the next year. “In the context of broadening the tax base, 406,343 NUITs were assigned, of which 388,018 were for individuals and 18,325 for businesses,” said Mbalango, adding that this year’s milestone totals a cumulative total of more than seven million NUITs assigned.

On 24 October, Lusa reported that the Mozambican government wants to recover US$1.45 billion in lost tax revenue, according to data from the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. The document, approved by the Cabinet, which sets out objectives and plans until the end of the current governance cycle in 2029, refers to the intention to “broaden the tax base and fiscal efficiency”. It also provides for the introduction of a digital system for paying taxes, “as part of the process of modernising and digitising the tax system”.