The Rukungiri District Council has initiated an investigation into revenue collection in Nyakishenyi Sub county following concerns of underperformance. During a council meeting at Rukungiri District Council Hall, the District Speaker, Hon. Ahabwe Albert Rwamugaata, directed the Finance Committee to visit Nyakishenyi within two weeks to examine the revenue collection process. This move comes after the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, directed that government officials failing to fulfill their responsibilities should be interdicted and blacklisted.
The investigation aims to address concerns that revenue collected in Nyakishenyi Sub county is not reaching the district, contributing to poor revenue performance. District Councillor Brian Bantu stated that consultations revealed only one of the sub county's active markets, Iterero, was remitting revenue, while others like Kirimbe and Omukagaana were not. He noted that Nyakishenyi was once a top performer but now ranks among the poorest in revenue collection, attributing the decline partly to political tensions.
Nyakishenyi Sub county has many villages and developed trading centres, which should ideally boost revenue collection. However, District Youth Councillor Harmony Tumwesigye shared a personal experience of owning a shop in Masya, Nyakagyeme, without ever receiving a trading licence or seeing a parish chief visit to collect taxes over the past 10 years. This raised questions about the district's future revenue prospects and the effectiveness of revenue collection mechanisms.
In response to the concerns, newly installed Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Edward Bwambare Katuramu pledged to address the issues. He committed to implementing the minister's directive, ensuring parish chiefs carry out their revenue-collection responsibilities. The Finance Committee Chairperson, Mathias Kamusiime, assured that the committee would report on its findings within two weeks.
Councilor Ananius Turyashemererwa Jegere urged stakeholders responsible for revenue collection across the district's sub counties to fulfill their duties, emphasizing that the district was losing significant revenue. The council's actions aim to enhance revenue collection and hold officials accountable for their performance. The investigation will examine the roles of parish chiefs, Sub County chief, and senior assistant secretaries in Nyakishenyi.
The Rukungiri District Council's efforts to improve revenue collection are crucial for the district's development and service delivery. The council's directive to the Finance Committee to investigate revenue collection concerns in Nyakishenyi Sub county demonstrates its commitment to addressing the issue. The committee's findings and recommendations are expected to inform measures to enhance revenue collection and prevent similar issues in other sub counties.
The outcome of the investigation and the implementation of the minister's directive will be closely watched by stakeholders, including residents and business owners in Nyakishenyi Sub county. The district council's actions have the potential to impact the livelihoods of residents and the overall development of the district.
Key points
- Rukungiri District Council to investigate revenue collection in Nyakishenyi Sub county.
- Officials failing to collect revenue may face interdiction and blacklisting.
- The district aims to enhance revenue collection and hold officials accountable.
