COUNTY STRATEGIZES TO ENHANCE OWN SOURCE REVENUE

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance and Economic Planning CPA Livingstone Imbayi on Friday graced a meeting, on behalf of H.E FCPA Governor Fernandes Barasa, organized by the County Revenue Agency (KCRA) to appraise Senior Officers from the Ministry and the Agency on operations of KCRA, its challenges and strategies laid down to meet the Ksh 2 Billion target for this financial year against the projected KShs 3 Billion collection.

CPA Imbayi said Kakamega County has a potential of collecting Kshs 5 Billion if unity of purpose and cooperation is embraced by staff as the process of securing a modern and robust new revenue collection system nears completion.

He cautioned the officers against engaging in malpractices adding that measures have been put in place to bring to an end cartels who have hindered prompt and efficient delivery of services to residents. The CECM encouraged the officers to step up their service to mwananchi and assured them that exemplary performance from them will be rewarded.

Chief Revenue Administrator CPA Aggrey Musindalo informed the Executive on their strategies which are anchored in the mantra of culture change towards revenue collection change. These include the 80:20 Pareto Rule that seeks to deploy resources in the large streams that bring in most of the own source revenue; namely Health Services, Advertisement, Land Rates, Plan Approvals and Single Business Permits. These account for upto 80 percent of the targeted revenue.

Other aspects of culture change include as enumerated by the CRA include entrenchment of systemic ethics and integrity in the Agency with prompt sanctions for the unfortunate malpractices as provided for in law.

Also efficient and effective performance, accountability for individual actions and / or ommissions by all actors in the County revenue collection ecosystem and capacity building of the Agency were mentioned as key contributors to enhancement of own source revenue as well as quality service delivery.