Getting Charitable Donations through Malawi Customs - Part 2 (Day 2)

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Day 2 - 7th September - A wasted journey ?

Another very early start without breakfast and we were camped outside the office of the Technical Director of the Malawi Revenue Authority by 7am. He rocked up at 8am and, after a ceremonial washing of hands on his male secretary's desk, we were ushered into his office by the “Smithers” type character. We were pointed towards two very low and very threadbare chairs 5 metres from his presidential desk and Mr Chiumia started the talking.

After much nodding and grunting, our man shakes his head. “I am really very sorry for your trouble in driving here from Nkhata Bay, but the office in Mzuzu should have told you that we are no longer able to waive duty on donations for NGOs as they have been abusing the system”. . . . . . .(sound of wind whistling, dogs barking and my stomach rumbling). . . .

My heart sank. Despite all of MRA Mzuzu’s assurances and, despite the sacrifice of innocent chickens, this guy was actually going to say “no” to us. To show us how sorry he was he phoned the Mzuzu office and ranted at the receptionist there for our benefit for 15 seconds. Mr Chiumia looked deflated and, for the first time, was completely speechless

“Err......Any chance the MRA will make a contribution towards the 40,000 kwacha (approx £160) of fuel we’ll have used to get here and back?”, I asked calmly (although FURIOUS inside). Call me naïve but, if you don’t ask. . .

We were then treated to a 30 minute talk about what we should have done and when we should have done it. After getting a new number plate made (hand painted - see previous days blog) we headed for Blantyre airport to pay the duty on and pick up my small DHL parcel.

“You must pay 40,000 kwacha” was the greeting from the DHL agent. A few junction boxes and some second hand tools couldn’t possibly attract that kind of duty surely! “You must also pay duty on the cost of the freight”. For some reason I found this all quite amusing and had visions of being stopped as I entered the country and asked to pay duty on the price of my flight and the value of my pants.

I negotiated them down to 18,000, paid up, took a celebratory photo of me brandishing a MultiContact tool (sorry non solar readers) outside the DHL office (I've never been so happy to see a cardboard box) and headed for Lilongwe already a day behind schedule, but now sailing through police roadblocks with our shiny new number plate and box of solar goodies.

We soared across vast high planes dotted with lonely mountains and watched the sun crash into the smoking haze of end-of-dry-season brush fires as we pulled into Kiboko Camp in Lilongwe.

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Photos

What A Tool ! !
Never thought I'd be so pleased to be reunited with a cardboard box last seen on an industrial estate next to a sewage works in Croydon !