Mzuzu, Malawi. (News of The South) – Ward Councilors of Mzuzu city agreed to seal the Mzuzu Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) premises due to failure by the bank to settle the outstanding K1 billion accumulated city rates bill.
During the extra ordinary full council meeting held on Tuesday the city Mayor, Councilor Kondwani Brian Nysulu and all his councilors unanimously agreed to seal the central bank’s premises with the aim of raising funds meant for the salaries of council employees who have not received their salaries for three months now.
It took the intervention of the city council’s Chief Executive Officer, MacLoud Kadammanja to stand on a point of order and enlighten the councilors on the dangers of taking such an action which he says is likely to invite some legal consequences.
In an interview Kadammanja admitted that indeed the RBM is owing the council a huge amount of money in ground rates, but was quick to point out that there are so many individuals and government parastatals owing the council close to K1 billion in city rates and ground rentals.
“The Reserve Bank of Malawi is not the only rate payer in the council, there are so many individuals and parastatals owing us money so our council members needed some guidance from the secretariat and also we had to look into what the law says, they pleaded with us to wait, so on that one the resolution is to wait and see considering what the law says.”
Commenting on the RBM matter the Mzuzu City Mayor, Councilor Kondwani Brian Nyasulu said he could really love to see the RBM premises closed so that the money realized would be channeled towards the salaries of council employees who have gone for some months now without pay.
“The situation really makes us so desperate to consider sealing the RBM premises because we want every penny in our coffers, and if all other means were exhausted we could adopt that, but we understand there is an agreement with our Chief Executive Officer so we shall wait for that,” Nyasulu said.
Meanwhile the RBM is yet to make an official statement on the said queries from the Mzuzu city councilors.
Mzuzu city council is said to be losing K500, 000.00 on daily basis for failure to collect market fees in thirteen of the fifteen sections of the main market in the Central Business District (CBD) due to some traders who are boycotting to pay marketing fees demanding the removal of illegal vendors around the market.
In a related development, the Blantyre City Council (BCC) has closed one of the popular entertainment joints, Chez Ntemba International Night Club for failure to renew their business licence, and the BCC publicist, Anthony Kasunda has confirmed the development.
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