Concerned citizens from Chitipa have warned that they will persuade people from the district to stop paying taxes to the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) in protest of the poor condition of the road which connects Chitipa District central business area and Mbirima Border Post.
In a letter addressed to the officer in-charge of Chitipa MRA and the District Commissioner (DC), the grouping said people from the district feel they are being robbed by MRA saying despite MRA collecting revenues from the citizens but the road’s condition remains pathetic.
Reads part of the letter: “We feel it is hypocrisy of highest order and day light robbery that you collect revenue from us at the said boarder post and yet the road network connecting Chitipa central business area and the post is in bad shape.”
One of the signatories of the letter, Davie Msongole, said they have given MRA and the DC until Friday to come up with a tangible response or else people from the area will shun away from paying any form of tax.
“As citizens we are facing challenges due to the pathetic road condition and the situation becomes worse during the rainy season and in the process causing all activities in the area at stand still,” lamented Msongole.
He further call upon authorities to transfer MRA officers from the boarder to Chitipa central business area for easy operations.
Msongole also bemoaned the low standards of MRA offices at the border posts and the pathetic living conditions of the MRA officers from the border post whom he said are dwelling in tent houses.
MRA head of corporate affairs, Steve Kapoloma, confirmed receiving the petition, but was quick to point out that the duty of constructing the road is not in the hands of his office, however the letter will be forwarded to relevant authorities.
Responding on the issue to do with both the standards of office premises and officers’ living conditions, Kapoloma said the plans to construct the standard post are already in their 2020 plans and the money for the project is already in the budget.
