The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is facing growing public scrutiny after it invited citizens to submit comments on a pending award of security service contracts, following concerns over transparency and fairness in the procurement process. The consultation comes amid reports that two of the shortlisted companies are owned by serving government officials, a development that has triggered debate over ethics and public trust.
Governance expert Z Allan Ntata says the public consultation, while sounding progressive, fails to address the real problem.
“Public consultation cannot cure a conflict of interest,” Ntata said. “It cannot sanitize a structural flaw.”
According to Ntata, the controversy is not about prices, technical ability, or whether procedures were followed on paper. He said the core issue is ethical.
“The heart of this matter is simple,” he said. “Can those who regulate the state also profit from it?”
Two of the companies reportedly in the running for the contracts are linked to a Minister of State and a Deputy Minister. Ntata argues that no amount of public input can erase the perception that political power is being used for private gain.
“When politically exposed persons repeatedly secure state contracts, the public reaches one conclusion,” Ntata said. “That influence is being monetised and institutions are being used.”
He warned that such perceptions damage the country in lasting ways.
“People begin to see paying tax as funding elite privilege,” he said. “Trust in institutions breaks down, and governance turns into a deal between power and profit.”
Ntata challenged the MRA to clearly explain whether its procurement rules restrict companies owned by senior politicians, whether an independent conflict-of-interest assessment was done, and what safeguards were put in place to ensure political office did not provide an advantage.
“This is not about individual companies,” he said. “It is about institutional integrity.”
He also urged the authority to consider banning politically exposed persons from bidding for sensitive government contracts in the future.
“Public office is a covenant of service, not a business opportunity,” Ntata said.
He closed with a direct appeal to the tax authority: “You have opened the floor to the public. Now close the door to corruption. Malawians expect principle, not just procedure.”
