The Malawi Revenue of Authority (MRA) today closed Times Group Limited – one of the country’s top media houses – over unpaid taxes.
It is not known how much the station is yet to settle with the tax collector.
Times Facebook Page posted about the closure hours ago.
Times Group owns Times Radio and Times TV. It also publishes Malawi News and Daily Times.
The radio is however on air but only airing a sermon by unknown preachers while the television is on and off.
Reports say the MRA with armed to teeth police officers raided the Times premises and asked all workers to stay away from the premises.
Times journalist Brian Banda hours ago posted on Facebook an image of himself and others on their laptops in a restaurant confirming of the closure but said ‘We are not down’.
Last year, the tax collector also shut down the media giant over K675 million in unpaid taxes.
MRA said the bill was for Value Added Tax, Corporate Tax, Fringe Benefit Tax, Witholding Tax and Pay as you Earn for period between 2011 and 2016.
The action raised debate on whether the move by MRA was influenced by government as the media house was very critical of the Peter Mutharika led regime. The MRA later quashed those arguments.
Recently, Times Radio failed to conduct live commentary of TNM Super League matches over ‘hefty’ sums of money they owe the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) in broadcasting fees.
Cheap politicking that even a child can see what is happening. Things are falling apart. It’s either Chilima or MCP.
Aonekera ng’amba makape
Mwatumidwa ndi cholinga choti asamauluse zikuchitika ku chipani kwanuko? Mwauponda munya