UTM vehicles purchase saga dates MRA

Dust is refusing to settle on an issue surrounding the purchase of 44 vehicles by the United Transformation Movement (UTM) of Dr. Saulos Chilima as latest reports indicate that the matter has now been referred to the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).

According to published reports, Gosten Chinseu has penned MRA demanding the tax body to reveal how much tax UTM and alleged buyer of the vehicles Khwesi Msusa paid to MRA from the income they earned that spurred purchasing of the vehicles.

“This purchase, therefore, raises serious doubts first on how the party gets funding to buy such assets and secondly, if the source of their money is taxed adequately by the Malawi Revenue Authority.

“They, being a political party that does not receive any known funding in Parliament owing to their numbers, have not yet declared to the public if they earn money from any profit making undertaking,” reads part of the letter addressed to MRA dated May 13 2022.

Added the letter: “I am of the view that their assets and source of funding must be investigated exhaustively to ascertain whether they are paying the right taxes considerate to their venture.”

MRA is yet to comment on the matter.

Chinseu earlier on also penned the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) asking the graft busting body to investigate the matter.

Last week, ACB Director General Martha Chizima told the press that her office will institute an investigation on the matter.

Meanwhile, UTM is yet to comment on the new development.