MRA suspends officer over carbon tax remarks on social media
The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) have suspended one of their Blantyre-based employees after a video in which the woman was mocking motorists on Carbon Tax went viral on social media platforms, primarily WhatsApp.
The tax-collecting body announced last week that they will be collecting Carbon Tax from motor vehicles upon renewal of Certificate of Fitness (COF).
The introduction of the tax sparked outrage from the public with some describing it as milking an already thin cow.
The woman sent the video on social media mocking motorists that the tax is so small compared to the period and money they spend on other issues.
The video clip which is 27 seconds long, the woman speaking in Chichewa said “eeehh Carbon Tax, Carbon Tax, zolubwalubwa mbwe. Anthu mumapita ku Lake of Stars opanda plan, kuthira galimoto full tank. Carbon Tax yemweyu ena muli ndi ma Mira, four sauzande, four sauzande yopereka pachaka koma mukulubwa za Carbon Tax. Muzitolere kaguliseni mukalipire Carbon Tax. Zachamba eti. ( You are making noise about Carbon Tax yet you spend so much money on unplanned things like Lake of Stars and the tax is only K4 000 per year. Just go and pay Crabon Tax, nonsense”.
MRA has however been quick to distance themselves from the woman saying she holds no capacity to speak for the tax-collecting entity.
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times, signed by MRA’s Head of Corporate Affairs Steven Kapoloma, they indicate that the sentiments are contrary and inconsistent with MRA Values, Ethics and Code of Conduct.
“The sentiments made by the officer in the post are personal and do not in any way reflect the position or stand of MRA on the subject matter and should be disregarded”, reads part of the statement.
And it adds “the officer has been suspended pending desciplinary procedures and the authority most sincerely apologises to the public and regrets the incident.”
The tax was implemented on Monday, November 25 2019.
Ndalama zachepako ku account number 1, mbava zachuluka. Podzafikana uja m’mati wogona uja waku Ntcheu kukatenga nawo kukagayira mfumu yakwawo
Mukamalembana pa chibale ndi choncho
Mmmmh izi NDI Za social media. Mra kuzitengera hard.
komadi carbon wa zimagalimoto zakutha akutipweteka ku Malawi kuno azilipira ndalama zake zizipita ku za umoyo bwanji kumangotsutsa zilizonse ya caborn tax NDI yabwino
Man up! that means the cost of transportation will have to go up. That cost will be transferred to the poor pipo. Think about the poor dont be greedy!
Small brains are usually found in big heads
The cash collected from this carbon tax I what kind of programs/activities is it going to undertake? Mukanatiuza kuti ndalamayi izilowera kuti. Dollar imeneyi siikapezeka ili muthimba mwa a chimwene aja?
I think MRA blew the lady’s personal sentiments out of proportion. The sentiments are purely personal and not intended to represent MRA Corporate. Besides, the comments are on a newly introduced tax of which as a person and probably as a car owner, is also a tax payer. Unless MRA tells the world that one of their corporate values among their employees is not to comment about taxes, there is no issue here warranting suspension. Please reinstate her without delay.
Just fire her. People working in government institutions should know, they are there for Malawians who pay them. Kulankhula motumbwa kudzimva kupambana should never be tolerated. We have some people in police, immigration, MRA, MACRA among others who think and behave as if these organisations belong to them as individuals. Mukamaba just know there are lots of Malawians who are suffering and are paying taxes just to make you get good salaries. Let this woman go and live life like majority of Malawians. After that she will know, she was just employed.
I beg and beg the authorities, she is a young lady full of life and reading the clip, she only overstepped her office ethics ( which I do not know). Probably she is right! Laugh it off and let her work
The main issue would be the organization’s policy and awareness to its employs regarding handling of social media. In an institution where awareness is robust employees wouldn’t even attempt to do this. The problem, I fear is that MRA didn’t create the necessary awareness internally. It’s one thing to have a policy and another to have employees familiarize and internalize the policy tenets. Let this be a learning point but don’t sacrifice her in the process.
On another note, please MRA nepotism lekani. We wish we had joined you koma ayi ndithu just employing ma cadets. Please tapota nanu.
isnt this an interference of personal privacy?show me a man who could still keep there jobs if we intercept all the messages on facebook,instalgram,twitter,phone sms and etc please pple use common sense
bolani kutichula anapapi olo kutinyenyanyenya as pitala told all of mtundu wa a malawi..
kukomera mbuzi kugunda galu.
cimodzimodzi kuika pa front page zithuzi zolaula koma kuiwala kuti abwana ndiomwe amamunuenga. hetini?
so are you gonna recruit this week on her post??? am applying online apapa
‘Zachamba’ in English it’s not nonsense. But rather ‘for Indian hemp ‘
Probably this represents the wider views and discussions of MRA, only that this time it has come in the open
Good idea
Probably she said whilst in uniform; may be BUT BUT, there no need to bring a mountain from a mound
She said it while in uniform and not ‘probably’. On the other hand, her attire is irrelevant in this case.
She’s just a NAIVE STUPID GIRL, being SACRIFICED to put up a fake COSMETIC impression as if MRA is serious. Za BODZA BASI. Mbava zenizeni “ACHEJUMO” akufuna CARBON taxi, AKUTAFUNA mokobiri mochuluka ali pheee!!! ku MRA kumweko. Most siphoning money for their political masters.
MRA chonde I apologize on her behalf. As you have rightly said, those are her personal views as a person, not MRA. As a person, she is entitled to make an opinion, not as PR for MRA but a person. If you go deeper you will establish that they are good friends and have been chatting for a long time. Only that this time around she was not aware that her friends (the motorists) were recording her utterances for public consumption. Madilaivala timakonda kucheza. Ndiye pakhale madam ofisala ndiye eish! choncho polani moto osazitengera. Don’t fire her. As a person she has responsibilities. Just civic educate your staff to refrain from jokes mainly when it concerns public. Ndangodutsamo sin’dathyole nkhani. ZIKOMO.
Izi mwalemba apa nzosamveka, The fact that she was saying that in MRA uniform, she has dented the institutions’ image. She deserves the punshment! Imagine having a number of such people in most public institutions?? It would be a mess!!
Abwana osamabwela panchezo wa pa social media ndi chochongela. Mudzingokamba zanzeru zanu basi maganizo anu amveka bwinobwino. Osamalimbana ndi maganizo anzanu. Anthu achita zinthu ali mu uniform, ena kutulutsa “very sensitive information to the public” yet analumbira. Zimanenedwa m’maofesimu kapena mawailesi, manyuzipepa ndi masocial media akadati azipangidwa zimenezi ndindani amene akadapezeka akugwilabe ntchito mpaka pano? Galimoto za boma ndi makampani panseupa, bwa? I still stand by my dicision Firing her is not a solution. Boma lidataya ndalama za misonkho yanga yambiri kumuphunzitsa munthu ameneyu kuti khale MRA officer. Ndikwabwino kuphunzitsabe ena oonjezera osati olowa mmalo mwa abiti. Mukamapanga ziganizo mudziganiza kwambiri. After all she had a point. Ikadakhala nthawi ya Dr Kamuzu Banda, Abiti akadakwezedwa pompopompo.
Show us the letter of suspension. musatinamize ma cadet
That’s internal.
CHINKAZI CHONYASA NKHOPE NGATI CHIMENECHI MPAKE KUYANKHULA ZAMWANO.CHITSIRU TAKUONA TIZAKUTHIRA MOWA TKAZAKUMANA.MWANA WA NACHIPANTI IWE SHUPI.ULIBE NDI POKHALA POMWE KOMA MWANO NGATI ULI NDI KANTHU.