KAKAMEGA REVENUE AGENCY SENSITIZING TRADERS ON BARTER MARKETS COLLECTION

Kakamega County Revenue Agency (KCRA) has embarked on a County-wide mobilization exercise of the barter markets revenue stream.

Supported by the Governor H.E FCPA Fernandes Barasa who earlier on directed the acquisition of a modern revenue collection system that is intergrated with banking systems to ensure cashless revenue collection; the Agency has stepped up sensitization efforts and is incorporating the relevant County Government departments and other key stakeholders to ensure the revenue targets are met with an objective of realizing the Governor’s six point development agenda for the people of Kakamega

According to KCRA CEO CPA Aggrey Musindalo who led the exercise, barter markets accounted for 1 percent of the County’s Own Source Revenue in the 2022/2023 Financial Year amounting to Kshs 13,176,103 out of the total collection of Kshs 1,309,679,900; despite consuming the most in man-hours to collect.

The sensitization exercise that begun on Wednesday, 16th August 2023, aims at establishing the true potential in barter markets as a revenue stream, the best collection approach that will be efficient and cost effective while minimizing any leakages and how the same will be captured in the ongoing Finance Act that is under review.

The KCRA staff were joined by Officers from the Departments of Trade, Weights & Measures as well as members of the Kakamega Market Committees who shared information from the traders on the most harmonious approach to collect devoid of violence and mischief.

The challenges highlighted so far are purported lack of cellphones by traders or being bound by ‘Fuliza’ debts and the request by a section of the traders to pay much later in the day thus inconveniencing the collectors.

Members of the public are advised to support and cooperate with Revenue Agency staff as they discharge their mandate and use official channels in reporting or apprehending any misconduct.

CPA Musindalo was joined by Directors Ms. Deborah Abuti (Trade) and Mr Shaban Hajj (Weights & Measures) among others.