LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN WESTNILE COMMIT TO IMPROVE REVENUE COLLECTION

Participants attending the SEATINI follow up meeting in Arua city. Photo by Anslem Ojaru.

By Anslem Ojaru

Arua city

The government official from three jurisdictions of Arua central, Nebbi municipal council, Nebbi district local council and zombo district have made commitments that will enhance their revenue mobilization and collection.

These commitments were made during a three day follow up meeting with organized by SEATINI Uganda in partnership with Oxfam and AFCE held at Le-tsuba hotel in Arua city to reflect on the achievements and setbacks in implementing the local revenue enhancement plan in the four government entities.

William Kibirige the principle treasurer of Nebbi Municipal council says that the different capacity building on revenue collection and mobilsation by SEATINI has had a positive impact on the council’s revenue.

“Through the training we embarked on the implementing the intervention and recommendations by closure of 2023/24 we has gone to 440m, within that span we feel we can do better  as we progress so we feel there is more to be done  in terms of working on the gaps we shall be able to do more.”

Patrick Cwinyai the finance officer Nebbi district states that they have come up with strategic plans that will improve revenue collection in the municipal council. “Given the growth rate in revenue collection of 20% that has been persistent we did not hit 100%, but our justification that we are going to hit 100% in 2024/25 is that the assets that we had not disposed are going to be disposed that is going to increase our revenue, we are also to continuously engage the political leaders in revenue mobilization in meetings monthly and quarterly.”

Felix Wakayo the commercial officer Nebbi Municipal council says they are committed to implementing these strategies to meet their targets for the next financial year. “We intend to consistently facilitate our agents with some modest facilitation of airtime and data and also continuously follow up with PRNS them create a call center all our divisions so that we get feedback from all our tax payers this we have projected to give us some revenue.”

Malik Drakuma the town clerk of Arua central division urges the public to embrace the IRAS technology of tax collection which has increased their collection which is a motivating factor. “The impact has been massive, for example in Arua in 2022/23 FY our revenue performance was about 3.3b but the last FY we were able to collect up to 4 billion and at the end of it you find the trust and motivation to pay taxes becomes easier.”

Aloysius Kittengo the program coordinator at SEATINI says that the follow up meeting is to help the authorities to come up with priorities in the fiscal year 2024/2025 for effective service delivery.

“For us we anticipate, they must be some changes based on the commitments, we are here to see how they have put it into play and also look at the way forward, how can we improve the areas where there are some loopholes in terms of addressing them to generate more revenue the way we found there local  revenue enhancement plan there were not comprehensive enough so we are trying to support the lower  local  governments to be able to  enhance their understanding  and appreciating their role in revenue mobilization and service delivery.” 

Aloysius Kittengo the program coordinator at SEATINI engaging the Arua deputy RCC .
Photo by Anslem Ojaru

During the three days engagement was tailored on mentorship and capacity building on the best practice in Local revenue mobilization based on the issues/challenges highlighted in Local revenue Mobilization in the three jurisdictions of Nebbi Municipal Council, Nebbi District, Arua central division and Zombo district.