Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) says it will hold demonstrations on Wednesday to push government to remove tax on cooking oil.
CDEDI’s Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said this during a press briefing which the organization conducted on Saturday in Lilongwe.
According to Namiwa, the organisation will continue holding demonstrations until government answers their concerns.
Namiwa noted that Malawians have been complaining about the rising of products but it seems that government has turned a blind eye more especially the president who is silent on such issues.
“Malawians are deprived the pride that goes with buying locally manufactured products simply because they are expensive due to high cost of production. This has come about as a result of high levels of taxes on fuel, water and electricity.
“It is for this reason that CDEDI is demanding the review and subsequent removal of some of the taxes and levies in a bid to reduce cost of production thereby making the products affordable to the ordinary Malawians,” he explained.
He also said that government is favoring illegal foreigners such as Burundians who are selling their products like hot cake than vulnerable Malawians who are the sons and daughters of the soil and the real people who fought for change.
Despite calls for the removal of the 16.5 percent value added tax on cooking oil, government has been claiming that the tax does not affect price of the commodity.
