NEBBI – To improve local revenue collection in Nebbi Municipality, authorities have launched the Integrated Revenue Administration System [ IRAS ].
IRAS is an online and mobile application platform that enables local governments collect revenue through registration, assessment, billing, payment awareness raising for taxpayers, and connecting residents to local governments.
According to leaders, the launching of IRAS in Nebbi Municipality is a big achievement since there was lack of transparency in remitting the collected local revenue by the appointed town agents.
Town clerk Nebbi Municipality, Stephen Rubaihayo said due to poor revenue collection and corruption, they are unable to raise funds to improve service delivery such as maintenance of roads.
“There were rampant cases of duplications of receipt books by some town agents. That is why the council has failed to realise the projected local revenue to improve service delivery,” Rubaihayo said.
He said the council is grappling with challenges of garbage collection, infrastructural development, road opening and maintenance due to meagre revenue collected.
The Municipal principal treasurer, William Kibirige said even though they have 962 business registered, very little revenue is being collected from them.
He said in the financial year 2021/ 2022, Nebbi Municipal Council targeted Shs 698 million in local revenue but ended up collecting only Shs 512mln. In the current financial year that ends on July 1, 2023, the council targeted Shs to collect 698mln but has so far collected only Shs 215mln. In the next financial year 2023/ 2024, the council targets to collect Shs 705mln.
The meagre local revenue means Nebbi Municipality with a population of about 44000 people is grappling with poor service delivery.
When contacted for a comment, one of the businessmen in Nebbi Municipality, Ben Okumu, said some people are reluctant to pay taxes because they don’t see tangible benefits accruing from the taxes.
“Our town cannot attract investors because it has no access roads but also garbage collection is poor,” Okumu said.
While speaking at the installation of the IRAS system, Robert Roy Apegu from the Ministry of Local Government and finance committee said, IRAS will limit the direct handling of the money collected.
He adds that the money collected using the IRAS platform would go straight to the URA account and to the consolidated account of the government then later be remitted back to the municipality account.
https://thecooperator.news/gulu-city-grappling-with-low-tax-revenue/
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