Tag Archives: General Secretary of the Living Waters International Church

Religion

Living Waters Church blocked its members to join PAC demo

Maravi Post Reporter

The Living Waters Church on Friday asked its members not to join the 13th December, 2017 electoral reform demonstration organized by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC).

Living Waters Church said this through its letter sent to all of its churches.

Below is the epistle;

Dear LWC Clergy and Laity.

I write in my capacity as General Secretary of the Living Waters church International to inform you that neither the Board of Trustees nor the International Council have met to come up with a position of the church visa vis events of 13th December 2017.

I would further hasten to inform you that in the absence of a formal statement from the Board of Trustees or International Council, all clergy and laity of the LWC Int. are hereby restrained from making statements on behalf of the church to any fora for or against the events of the 13th December 2017.

The above notwithstanding, the church acknowledges that all clergy and laity of LWC Int. have a right to exercise their individual freedooms as citizens of Malawi permitted by the constitution of the country to choose which side of the debate to follow. That would be their private decision and not the official position of the church.

As a church we continue to plead with all the clergy and laity laity to pray for the peace of God to reign on both sides of the coin irrespective the choices they make. We need to praay for Government as much as we need to pray for all who are going to march so that there should be peace progress and prosperity in our country.

Endless love and unceasing prayers,

Business, Religion

MRA’s 30% tax imposition on churches activities stirs controversy

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost) – The recent Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) imposition of 30 percent tax on churches and faith-based organisations operating business ventures effective October, 2017, has not been well received.

MRA introduced the tax in its drive to widen the tax base for maximum revenue collection.

However, some members of the faith community in Malawi, strongly question the motive behind this drive; they argue that the tax bill is bent on milking religious institutions, that have numerous humanitarian programs.

At a meeting with the clergy in Blantyre this week, MRA Head of Corporate Affairs Steven Kapoloma said the tax will apply on businesses which religious institutions run directly or indirectly to boost their revenue collection.

Kapoloma explained that the new tax is not applicable to offerings and tithes.

He told the clergy to embrace this tax measure, stating that it is aimed at improving the country’s socio-economic development.

Kapoloma added that religious bodies qualify to pay tax because a number of them make payments to various suppliers and service providers.

“The Taxation Act requires taxes to be charged on, levied on, and paid by every ecclesiastical body at the rate of 30 percent as specified in the eleventh schedule to the Taxation Act,” said Kapoloma.

But reacting to the new tax obligation, Pastor Jeston Chiweza, General Secretary of the Living Waters International Church, said they do not understand the whole idea behind the new tax, which is supposed to be principle-based, not law-based as they currently sound.

“There is a continuous revolution in the world that has not spared all sectors of the church, including entertainment, transport, education and health; hence, they should rethink on what is tax-free, because that has potential to defeat our ecclesiastical role as religious bodies,” Pastor Chiweza said.

Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Secretary General Twaibu Lawe, also expressed disapproval with the new tax measure, arguing that some mosques are already feeling the effects of ecclesiastical levy.

Among the religious institutions to be subjected to the tax include those running private schools, hospitals, and clinics and other properties, which churches normally hire out for profits.

The new tax structure comprises income tax, pay as you earn (PAYE), withholding tax, value added tax (VAT), and the Tevet levy introduced in 2015.