An aircraft with Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others onboard went missing on Monday, the president's office announced.
A search and rescue operation is under way after the aircraft, owned by the Defence Ministry, went off the radar on Monday morning, according to a statement on Monday night.
It left the capital of Lilongwe at 9.17am local time and was scheduled to arrive at Mzuzu International Airport in northern Malawi, at 10.02am.
“All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far,” the statement added.
President Lazarus Chakwera's office said efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar had failed.
Mr Chakwera cancelled a scheduled trip to the Bahamas after the incident.
The plane was unable to land at the airport due to poor visibility and was ordered to return to the capital, Mr he said in a televised address to the nation.
"I'm holding on to every fibre of hope that we'll find survivors," Mr Chakwera said, adding that the search area was concentrated around a 10km radius in a forest reserve.
"I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found."
He said Malawi had contacted neighbouring countries, and the US, Britain, Norway and the Israeli governments, for support in the rescue efforts.
Some unverified media reports suggested the group was travelling in a helicopter to attend the funeral of lawyer Ralph Kasambara.
No other details were immediately available.
Mr Chilima has been Vice President since 2020.
In 2022, he was arrested on corruption charges, which were dropped by a Malawi court in May.
He previously served as minister for economic planning and development, among other posts.
The incident comes weeks after Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash, renewing scrutiny of the country's poor aviation record.
An overnight search-and-rescue operation was launched in western Iran before their bodies were recovered at the crash site.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
