Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has come under spotlight over its top job with some sections suggesting that commissioner general John Biziwick, whose contract is coming to an end, is ineligible for renewal.
On the other hand, some sources familiar with MRA executive management contracts have indicated that Biziwick is eligible to hold office for an additional term because his initial contract was prematurely terminated.
Said one source: “This premature end of his initial contract was a result of decisions by the government and the MRA board then [in 2014] which effectively ended his first term early.
“According to the MRA Act, a term is defined as a full four-year period. Hence, Mr. Biziwick’s initial two-year service cannot be considered a full term. In all fairness, two cannot be equal to four.”
In an interview last week, MRA head of corporate affairs Steven Kapoloma said the authority respects that contracts of this nature are personal matters.
He said: “Employment contracts are personal matters. Therefore, we cannot comment on the status of the contract of the commissioner general.”
Governance analyst Willy Kambwandira said authorities should follow the law in the appointment of the MRA commissioner general.
“Malawians expect the process to be transparent and fair so that a competent and qualified person heads MRA,” he said.
Kambwandira, who is Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director, said, so far, Biziwick has demonstrated excellence and high performance at MRA and that during his leadership, the public tax collector has recorded high revenue collection.
MRA data shows that revenue collections in the 2020/21 fiscal year totalled K1.1 trillion, exceeding the target by K28.74 billion.
The authority collected K959.6 billion in the nine-month 2021/22 fiscal year and K1.539 trillion was collected against the targeted K1.538 trillion in the 2022/23 fiscal year, beating the target with K1.39 billion.
In the just-ended 2023/24 fiscal year, the authority registered another milestone by performing against all odds, with a total revenue collection of K2.186 trillion against the target of K2.180 trillion.
But according to Section 17 of the MRA Act, the commissioner general shall hold office for a period of four years and shall be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term of four years.
The law is designed to ensure leadership continuation to ensure sustainability of the domestic revenue mobilisation strategy implementation.
During his initial tenure, Bizwick served in the position from June 2012 to July 2014 when the contract was prematurely terminated after a change of government.
Comptroller of Statutory Corporations Peter Simbani said renewal of contracts for members of executive management is handled by the MRA board.
“It is the MRA board, therefore, that is better-placed to give you an answer on the way forward of the employment contract of the MRA commissioner general,” he said.
However, MRA board chairperson Vizenge Kumwenda said the company secretary was better-placed to comment.
President Lazarus Chakwera appointed Biziwick as commissioner general in 2020 alongside Henry Ngutwa as deputy commissioner general responsible for revenue and Agness Katsonga Phiri as deputy commissioner general responsible for administration.
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