“MRA, I Work So You Can Eat? Traders Say Enough is Enough”

One placard captured their frustration perfectly: “MRA, ine osaka, iwe odyera?” – translated as “I work so that you can eat?”. The traders presented a petition to MRA, detailing what they described as invasive questioning about their capital, stock, and business operations. “Most of our small-scale traders do not even use electronic fiscal devices. MRA Commissioner for Domestic Taxes, Gray Balawe, said the authority would review the traders’ concerns internally and provide feedback, but offered no concrete concessions. For many, yesterday’s march was just the beginning of a fight to survive under what they call a punitive and heavy-handed revenue system.