MRA e-newsletter Mauritius Revenue Authority December 2016 Presentation of MRA Annual Report to the Honourable Minister of Finance & Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth Editor s Note Dear Readers, During the last month of the calendar year 2016, the MRA Annual Report 2015 was presented to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. The Report is a compilation of the achievements of the MRA during the financial year 2015. On the other hand, the MRA End of Year Get-Together was also held in December at the Casela Leisure Park. The MRA wishes all its readers a Prosperous New Year 2017. In this issue... The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) s Annual Report for the financial year 2015 was officially presented by the Director-General of the MRA, Mr. Sudhamo Lal, to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on Thursday 8 th December 2016. As per the legal provisos under the Statutory Bodies (Accounts and Audit) Act, the MRA has the obligation to submit its duly-audited Annual Report to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and for onward tabling at the National Assembly. The Annual Report is audited by the National Audit Office (NAO). www.mra.mu taxpayerservices@mra.mu twitter.com/mra_services
MRA celebrates its End of Year Get-Together at Casela The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) organised its End of Year Get-Together on Wednesday 21 st December 2016 at the Casela Leisure Park. The event is now an annual feature which sees the participation of all members of the MRA Family (Board Members, Management Team and Staff) under one single roof to celebrate after a year of hard work. It is also the occasion for all members of the MRA Family to unite and share some valuable moments around a banquet in a relaxed ambiance. Mr. Patrick Yip Wong Wing, Deputy Financial Secretary and MRA Board Member, was the Chief Guest of the MRA End of Year Get-Together, in the presence of Mr. A. Nilamber, MRA Board Member. They were welcomed by the Director-General of the MRA, Mr. Sudhamo Lal, amidst the presence of the MRA Management Team. In his address, Mr. Yip thanked all MRA staff for their effort during the year and urged everyone to continue working as a family. The Director-General of the MRA emphasised that the Get-Together is the opportunity for all staff to come together and to celebrate. Mr. Sudhamo Lal also wished Marry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017 to all MRA Staff. Prior to the start of the official ceremony, MRA staff participated in the following free activities: Avalanche Mines, Safari, and Giraffe Viewing and at the end of the protocol, the Krumania Dance Group and the Cassiya Group gave live performances. The dance floor was open as from 22h00. 2
Administrative Reforms: MRA meets with Ms. Culver of the Commonwealth Secretariat The Director-General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), Mr. Sudhamo Lal, welcomed Ms. Kelly Culver on Friday 9 th December 2016 at the MRA Head Office. Ms. Culver has been appointed to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Administrative Reforms for the elaboration of a full-fledged Civil Service Reforms Strategy and she requested a meeting with the Director-General of the MRA. The Director-General of the MRA numbered the fiscal reforms that were undertaken by the MRA since its creation and explained how same were implemented. The meeting was fruitful to the extent that both parties shared their experiences with regards to the civil service. Courtesy Visit of Representatives from MCCI Mr Azim Currimjee and Mr Raju Jaddoo, President and Secretary General respectively of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), Mr. Sudhamo Lal, on Thursday 08 th December 2016 at the MRA Head Office. It was an occasion for both parties to share their views on issues relating to the business sector in line with their fiscal obligations. The Director-General of the MRA thanked the MCCI for its collaboration and reiterated that the MRA is committed to providing quality services to its stakeholders. 3
Study Tour - Namibia Delegation at MRA Customs On Monday 12 th December 2016, a Namibian delegation comprising of officials from the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development visited the MRA Customs Department. The objective of the meeting was to study the following developments made by the MRA Customs Department in relation to the SME sector: 1. The TradeNet system for customs procedures; 2. Progression from a paper to a paperless customs; and 3. e-payment A presentation on the above topics was made by Mr. C. Dabeesing, Section Head CMS/IT Section, to the delegation. The delegates showed much interest in the topics and were appreciative of the progress made by the MRA in relation to the automation of the Customs procedures. The meeting ended with a note of thanks from the Namibian delegation. 4
Study Tour - MRA hosts Attachment Programme for Botswana, Lesotho and Zambia delegation The Director-General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), Mr. Sudhamo Lal, welcomed a delegation of six officials from Zambia, Botswana and Lesotho on Monday 05 th December 2016 at the MRA Head Office in the presence of Mr. Kenneth Head, Regional Customs Administration Adviser. The delegation comprised of Mr Nyakuyonga Ching Embu, Senior Inspector Digital Forensics (Zambia), Mr Thomas Mulenga, Customs Collector (Zambia), Ms. Malebogo Popego, Principal Customs Officer (Botswana), Mr. Peter Louis Ramogapi, Principal Revenue Officer (Botswana), Ms. Lineo Machobane (Lesotho) and Mr. Bahlakoana Shelile, Deputy Commissioner Intelligence & Case Selection (DCIS) (Lesotho). The attachment programme, which ran from 05 th to 16 th December 2016, was made possible through a joint cooperation between the IMF AFRITAC SOUTH, the funding country, and the MRA, the hosting organisation. During the debriefing session, Mrs C. Gunnoo, representing the Director-General, expressed her appreciation for such initiatives and reiterated MRA s support for multilateral cooperation between regional countries. 5
VLDS Sensitization Campaign MRA Domino Tournament During December 2016, the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) intensified its sensitization campaign on the VAT Lucky Draw Scheme (VLDS) by organising 3 campaigns in different regions of the island. Prior to December, the activities were held mainly in shopping centres around the island. To increase the number of taxpayers sensitized, the campaigns were held in shopping centres in Grand Bay, Rose Belle, Beau Vallon, Souillac and Flacq. The aim of the sensitization campaigns was to explain the taxpayers about the necessity to claim a receipt after a purchase and to encourage them to participate in the VLDS. While interacting with members of the public throughout the PR activities, it was noted that more and more people are interesting in participating in the VLDS. By sensitizing members of the public around the island, the MRA is progressively inculcating a tax culture among the population. The MRA Annual Domino Tournament was held on Saturday 10 th December 2016 at the Cafetaria of the Customs House. Around 100 staff including 26 teams of 2 players participated in the competition. The winners of the tournament were as follows: Winner: Mr. Jeetun Kewal and Mr. Guptar Ritanand 2 nd Place: Mr. Ramasawmy Niven Vadivel and Mr. Bhangbut Sudhir 3 rd Place: Mr. Ramessur Sandip and Mr. Rampadaruth Vikash Kumar Singh 4 th Place: Mr. Behary Moonish and Mr. Jaguessar Leckram 6
MRA End of Year Get-Together at Casela 7