By Roselyn Phiri
Lilongwe, June 13, Mana: As one way of recognizing the important role played by traditional chiefs in fostering development and maintaining culture in the country, government has decided to allow them to purchase one motor vehicle duty-free.
Speaking during the presentation of the 2020/2021 fiscal year budget on Friday in Lilongwe, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Joseph Mwanamvekha disclosed that with effect from July 1, 2020, chiefs will now purchase one duty-free motor vehicle every five years to ease their mobility.
“We have done this based on the request we received during the budget consultation and these are the proposals that we got,” said Mwanamvekha.
He added that to improve the quality of life of chiefs through improved access to medical services, government has also introduced a medical insurance scheme for chiefs from sub traditional authorities and above with effect from July 1.
The minister said during the 2020/2021 fiscal year budget presentation that government will also introduce a Customs Procedure Code under the Customs and Excise (Tariffs) Order to allow top flight football and netball clubs to import one bus.
Mwanamvekha added that the imported buses, with a seating capacity of 26 or more, will be duty-free every five years.
Under the same Customs Procedure Code, the government will also allow churches and similar religious institutions to import one bus with seating capacity of 26 or more, duty free for every five years, through their respective mother bodies.
According to the Finance Minister, the courtesy is intended to ease mobility and transport challenges faced by religious institutions.