Malawians take UK to task over colonial tax regime

Oct 21, 2016 Politics 39
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Thousands of people from Malawi have demanded the British government to scrap off colonial tax measures that allow companies owned by British white people not to pay tax in Malawi.  

Since 1955, the UK has had a tax treaty with Malawi, the world’s poorest country, making it possible for UK companies operating in the country to pay little or no corporate tax to the government.

Money
UK companies not feeling the tax pinch in Malawi.

To get rid of the archaic treaty,  ActionAid has started a petition calling on the Malawi government through the minister of finance Goodall Gondwe to revise the tax treaty arguing that the money lost through British companies’ tax avoidance can be used to improve public services in the country.

In the petition that will be presented to the UK government and is being signed by willing Malawians on ActionAid website, the country’s citizens are pressurizing authorities to look into the matter urgently.

“ActionAid Malawi is calling on Malawian Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe, and in the UK we’re calling on the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, to put a new treaty in place that ensures that Malawi can make UK multinationals operating there pay their fair share of tax,” reads part of the petition.

British firms invested £100 million in Malawi in 2010, making the UK the third largest investor in the Southern African country after South Africa and Switzerland.

Due to the size of their investment, the British firms, by using the treaty to avoid paying tax, deprive Malawi of money it would have used to improve its public services.

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39 Comments

  5. Ndizoona koma Kodi kumalawiko ma minister amakhoma msonkho nanga ma mp nanga akuluakulu a akhondo apolice akazembe oyimila maiko awo osaiwalanso amene anachita sponsor ma mp omwe ndi a bizinesi nanga amachalitchi pulezident ndi amene amalandira ndalama zochepa mzika zonwe sizilipa ntchito ambiri sakhoma msonkho bola mzika zaku Britain chifukwa amathandiza zinthu zambiri olo boma la Malawi likudziwa bwino zina mwa izo kuphunzintsa ma jaji , ma dokotala akulu akulu ankhondo apolisi aphunzitsi komanso kugula mankhwala mzipatala kuthandiza amai oyembekezera ngakhalenso budget ya boma olo akasambara a Billy maya

    ya akapito kagulu ndithu anaphunzira ndi chothandizo chochokera ku boma la Britain ambiri sitina wa tchule ma jaji onse ma dc onse panenepo mukuti bwanji nsonkho wa chiani ? nanga sabuside ya mbewu ndi fertilizer wptsija mtengo miseu madzi akumwa osimosisu machine ana BOLA imene akupangira aqua pure zinq sititchula ndi msonkho pomwepo bungwe la zachisankho mwatani kusowa zolemba kuphunzitsa asikali ankhondo anamwinu kuchipatala bwanji pamenepo psayiwanso ulimi wa fodya tea khofi banga constitution bwino muyaluka zambiri sititchula

  10. Ine iwe Bamusi sindikukuonanso kuti mumaganizo akowo muli nzeru zomanga mwina zopindulitsa kutukula miyoyo ya aMalawi ndi Malawi yemwe aberedwa ndi mzungu mpaka pano kwazaka uwelengetse wekha kuchokera 1955 mpaka 2016.
    This is Malawi not Nyasaland as you think that things will clearly change for Malawi and Malawians.
    Zikhala bwanji mpaka pano kumuopa mdaniyo amene Ali #Mtsamunda?
    Kaamba kochuluka nzika za mantha ndizosaona kutsogolo kwa Malawi zaika moyo wadziko pa chitswe.
    Malawi akufuna Chuma chache, zamainiforomu asilikali, mankhwala kuchipatala ndizomwe mwanenazo sizaulere ayi pena pakenso Tikuzilipiira tokha.
    Maiko onse amene analamulidwa ndi mngeleziali pa usiwa wadzaoneni, bwanji kodi?
    Nthaka yonse ya chonde ikanali mwa atsamunda!
    Malo onse awino bwini akanali mwaatsamunda!
    Chuma chathu chonse akuchiyang’anira atsamunda!
    Magraduate onse akuwatenga atsamunda kukagwira ntchito kwao
    Chigwe chitigwere mmanja mwa mzungu ndi tsoka lalikulu,
    Mzungu ndi mbamva nambala wani ngati muli mtulo a Bamusi

  13. Sometimes we fail to understand the programs of the government and her priorities. Why imposing huge taxes on the locals and making UK to feel at home

  15. Am here just to read some comments and ‘ll by the day choose the most foolish and senseless comment ever,and at this very time of my writing,Mr Bamus Banda’s,is toping the chart with 34 vote,yet the second one is with 6 vote,big up Mr Banda

  19. That’s why I don’t like these azungus, zoona msonkho tikupereka ife anthu akumudzi kwerekwere wina akungokhala per into mble per call iwe nzungu ndi abale ako aboma okubawo

  21. all these heavy tax that are loaded on us poor malawians!!!!……yet you can let the so called whites to pay no tax when they are making billions of profits in our motherland?……shame on you government officials… this is worthy revising….

  22. Colonial times are over,no more a country being under another country.Its high time British companies begun cashing in their taxes to My mother land #Malawi.

  23. Stuped when did u realise that? Wht abt ministers are they paying tax? Are they also uk? Stop that think no country can stand wthout hving mother ,uk is mother malawi . Let them enjoy .they do help us alot military ,uniforms and sources. Malawi is 4them

    3. Ur stl fighting wth whom u dnt know? I know u my dea check my face ,u think ur clever? Go and eat ku ndata farm mwana wahule iwe .atate ako mbava .u know nothing abt malawi. Go to hell

    5. You should follow things dude before saying trash here. Kenya claimed a maumau war abuse against the british and it went in their favor! Why not us? If you went to school where they left you grammatically raw hopefully you learnt a chewa proverb that says ‘mulandu suwola’.

  26. Dzuka malawi dzuka, wandalenso ndiye kuti akunena zoona za malo ku thyolo..nkhani zake si zomwezi apa za chitsamunda, malawi lets have our country back.

  28. Thousands of people from Malawi have demanded the British government to scrap off colonial tax measures that allow companies owned by British white people not to pay tax in Malawi. Since 1955, the UK has had a tax treaty with Malawi, the world’s poorest country, making it possible for UK companies operating in the country to pay little or no corporate tax to the government. UK companies not feeling the tax pinch in Malawi. To get rid of the archaic treaty, ActionAid has started a petition calling on the Malawi government through the minister of finance Goodall Gondwe to revise the tax treaty arguing that the money lost through British companies’ tax avoidance can be used to improve public services in the country. In the petition that will be presented to the UK government and is being signed by willing Malawians on ActionAid website, the country’s citizens are pressurizing authorities to look into the matter urgently. “ActionAid Malawi is calling on Malawian Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe, and in the UK we’re calling on the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, to put a new treaty in place that ensures that Malawi can make UK multinationals operating there pay their fair share of tax,” reads part of the petition. British firms invested £100 million in Malawi in 2010, making the UK the third largest investor in the Southern African country after South Africa and Switzerland. Due to the size of their investment, the British firms, by using the treaty to avoid paying tax, deprive Malawi of money it would have used to improve its public services. October 21, 2016 Share this: © Malawi24, 2015. All Rights Reserved Leave a Comment (Required) (Will not be published) (Required) Submit Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. SEARCH  2     

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