By Thandie Chadzandiyani
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse administration continues to miss the populace needs by focusing meaningless issues including removing of duty on motorcycles.
The move comes as Malawians are grappling with heavy taxes on basic needs including water, electricity, cooking oil, milk, sugar, soap, fuel and among others.
Instead, Chakwera’s Tonse Finance Minister Felix Mlusu announced that in the 2021/2022 national budget duty on motorcycles will be removed.
“What Malawians who gave Chakwera vote expected from the national budget is removal of taxes on essential basic needs. Look now cooking of 5 litres its at MK10, 500 at Chipiku. Now, a sensible government could think of removing duty of motorcycles instead of basic needs? This is a joke,” wondered Nellia Kapanga, Kawale resident.
This has also ignited debate as how poor road of Malawi will accommodate new motorcycles
Roads in Malawi besides being not enough already for vehicles, motorcycles also have dominated in Malawi as a mode of transport hence causing congestion on the road, most of these motorcyclist do not even follow the road safety measures.
“The government did not this of us minibus drivers when they were thinking of making this decision, its hard already moving around in town as everywhere there are motorcyclist making it easy for accidents,” Lilongwe town minibus driver complained
“The removing of this duty on them is like inviting insects to the roads as they will flock here cause they have nothing to worry about,” he added.
Most of the citizens have not recieved this decision with both hands as Maravi has researched as no one understand what will help with the already depleting economy of this country.
“Malawi will just be like another Lagos or Freetown, this is chaotic please! Instead of doing rubbish like these can we modernize our transport in the cities unlike causing problems for the future generations” one pedestrian explained
“We are supposed to be thinking of proper buses and registered taxis not this madness, is something wrong with being black? All these politicians have been to the streets of the foreign countries don’t they see how the streets are?” She finished
However using motorcycles is not safe to travel as most of them do not have helmets to a protect them or their passengers.
Chakwera Tonse government slowly is loosing the public trust just 10 months in power.
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