MRA shielding Malawi Broadcasting Corp’ over K4.5bn tax arrears: MPs raise red flag
The State run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) owes the public tax collector K4.5 billion but the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has been accused of inaction.
However, MRA Commissioner General Thom Malata backed the public tax collector, saying they don’t favour public institutions.
Members of Parliament (MPs) under rhe budgest assessment cluster of Industry, Trade amd Tourism; Media, information and Communication – meeting in Lilongwe on Thursday hit at tax collecting body of shielding MBC when the same MRA accompanied by heavily armed police officers seized records and vehicles of the privately-owned Times media group at Ginnery corner and sealed the offices on similar tax arrears issue
MRA head of corporate affairs Steve Kapoloma said Times was sealed for failure to settle a tax liability amounting to K675 969 316.75.
Times suspected the move to seal its office was politically motivated, saying: the news organisation has been remitting its taxes every month.
Nyasa Times understands Times Media is now among big tax provider to government from the private sector.
During the cluster meeting, MPs asked MRA why they not taking simiar action against MBC as they did to Times.
Sam Kalawe, committe chairperson said MBC arrear date back to 2006.
He asked MBC delegation led by Geoffrey Kazembe: “Why is it that MRA is not shutting you down?” Wjhat is so special with you?”
In his response, Kazembe, who is MBC’s director of news and current affairs, said their woes started at the time Parliament allocated it a nominal K1 in protest over their propaganda and disinformation in 2007.
He pleaded with the MPs to raise MBC budget and persuade MRA to “write off” their tax arrears.
“This will cripple us for years to come, Please lobby for us to MRA to relent a little bit on us. We are all in the same country called Malawu. We pray the government tells MRA t write off this debt,” said Kazembe.
In his comments, Malata said MRA has been in “negotiations” with the public institutuions to “agree on certain modalities.”
He said: “It’s not that we favour them.”
Malata said MRA leave public institutions to operate “but if institutions do not want to discuss with us , we act.”
He said MRA works independent from political pressure as it strives to meet a given target.
MRA is expected to collect K918 billion in 2017/18 financial year for the financing of the K1.3 trillion National Budget.
The sealing of Times Media Group was made after publications of articles on maize involving suspended Admarc chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe and fired Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda.
Following the publications, Admarc on December 29 2016 served Times Group with an injunction restraining the media group from publishing anything related to the maize transaction. The injunction was vacated.
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How do you expect government to trump on MBC when it gives almost all its tenders to politicians and friends such as Nankhumwa
Paja DG akumanga nyumba zitatu pakamodzi eti? Salary yake yomweyi ya K1.3m before tax? Dzuka Malawi dzuka. Tax payers money.
The worst thing that ever happened to MBC is the appointment of its so called DG, Aubrey Sumbuleta. The uneducated fatty who knows nothing but screwing other people’s wives in the name of putting them on sorry trips to China. By the way we hear his beloved girl friend, the PRO has also thrown her towel in the ring, now going to Globe Electronics. How are you Memory Mughogho, Sumbuleta’s PA who recently lost her marriage because Sumbuleta screws her at will. Madam Sitolo at Advertising, you also have bent so low, to double cross your husband who took you… Read more »
Alternatively, just fund MBC the same amount they owe MRA. Tell them your funding is already in your account and thus is the 4.5billion you owe Malawians. So Please MPs, do not give MBC any more money. They have their allocation already in the form of Taxes in their purse. Where was this uneducated DG Sumbuleta when he sent Kazembe who has not even finished his Degree at BIU? Sumbuleta is using government money on silly things including abusing his own women staff members with silly favors for trips etc. So now he wants Malawian to pay for his satisfaction… Read more »
Tsekani imenayo.
A MBC munkathamangira ku TIMES TV pamene a MRA ankakatseka media houise’yo pamene inu muli ndi ngongole ngati imeneyi. MP’s please do not give them their budgeted money. They should be given K1.00. DPP should be responsible for their funding because they are the ones abusing the media house. Zitsiru zachabechabe.
Malawi Revenue Authority, what a shame you are. Mr Malata and Kazembe, the answers you are giving are empty rhetorics that make no sense. At the same time you shut Times group for something less than a billion kwacha, you are at the same time shielding mbc. You are now lobbying mps to beg mra for you? After that then you should continue your propaganda? I believe it is no problem even if mbc is shut down or even closes down because they are important to nobody but dpp alone. Everything mbc believes in is propaganda, they dream propaganda and… Read more »
Shut it down this useless and stupid media house. It is full of imbeciles who propagate trash against the opposition.
MBC represents backwardness and not professional journalism. It is a waste of tax payers’ money and is worth extinction. It is one of the reasons Malawi is moving in reserve without development because it promotes hatred and not transparency. Only DPP would miss MBC’s non-existence.
Ivi vindere chomene!!!! The problem is that we have Vindereso vya ma MP. We have a Gogo Gondwe nawoso bazgoka chindere chifukwa cha vindere ivi. What sense does it make to say MBC is owing tax MK4.5Billion? This is high class stupidity. But a Gogo Goodall Gondwe will soon tell us that this is Toxit Asset and should be written off. And the foolish MPs will say HEAR! HEAR, Hear!!!!! and clap their dirty corrupt useless hands.
Inu chonde, chonde, let this DPP government go out. What is our problem a Malawi?
Genuine Citizen, you want the DDP out of government? Its simple.Just form your own political party and contest for the post of presidency in the 2019 general election.
MRA