By Our Reporter
The country’s tax collection body, the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is once again embroiled in some illegal recruitment for some top positions in the organisation.
This follows the offering of jobs to Daniel Daka as the new Commissioner General with Douglas Katchomoza as Executive Director.
The two, are set to replace John Biziwick and Agness Katsonga whose contracts in those positions expired recently.
According to the existing rules and regulations in the MRA Act, upon a vacancy in the office of the Commissioner General or any other top positions, it is a requirement that the same shame be advertised so that interested and eligible candidates are allowed to apply and compete favourably for the positions.
However, this has not happened in the present scenario where Daka and Katchomoza have been handed these jobs on a silver platter behind the scenes.
The two, are allegedly reported to be ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) sympathizers to the core hence the decision.
Apart from not advertising for the two posts, Katchomoza’s new post of Executive Director is an illegal position as it doesn’t exist in the MRA Act.
Last time Katsonga was handed the position, some MRA members of staff threatened to move the court over this post and it has come as a surprise that following Katsonga’s departure, a replacement has been done for this illegal post.
A tax expert who has worked at the MRA for many years has appealed to Malawians to wake up and challenge these illegal recruitments happening at the MRA saying they are detrimental to the tax collection business in the country.
“The MRA Act. guides on how to run the MRA and who is supposed to be there and how. What’s happening now it’s an act of blatant violations of those regulations that this country set to guide this vital organization,” said the expert.
He further warned that allowing violations of the rules and regulations at public institutions like the MRA only creates anarchy and chaos in as far as governance issues are concerned in Malawi.
“Malawians should rise up and stop this nonsense, otherwise we are heading for a disaster,” he concluded.
Before being appointed into these positions, Daniel Daka was MRA’s Deputy Director for Tax Investigation whilst Douglas Katchomoza was MRA’s Commissioner of Customs.
