Tax and customs revenues in 2015 in Mozambique are expected to total 180 billion meticais (US$5.4 billion), said the president of the Mozambique Revenue Authority, Rosário Fernandes.

Mr Fernandes acknowledged the goal was ambitious, but said the institution would strive to exceed it, thus emulating the performance in recent years, Mozambican newspaper Notícias reported.

Making a preliminary assessment of state revenue collection in 2014, Mr Fernandes stressed that, in order to meet the new target, the Revenue Authority would focus, among other things, on expansion of the tax base.

That would be achieved not only through registration of taxpayers and intensification of tax education activities, but also through the decentralisation of tax offices, he told the local newspaper.

As of December 30, 2014, the Revenue Authority had raised 153.4 billion meticais in taxes, against an annual target of 147.3 billion meticais.