The Meru County Assembly has vowed to introduce stringent measures to enhance revenue collection to hit the targeted Ksh. 550 million in the next financial year.
Led by the Chairperson Select Committee on County Budget and Appropriation Martin Koome Makasi, the MCAs regretted that during the past regime, despite targets being set they were never achieved.
“During the last financial year there was a high target on the own source revenue. But it was not realized. It is the high time this house comes with measures to correct the mess” said Makasi.
A similar concern was shared by nominated MCA Kiriinya Mwenda who said that the own source targets are not too high, but the collection mode needs to be rechecked.
“There are gaps that we need to explore as a county. Once we explore those gaps, we can even surpass the Sh. 550m target” said Kiriinya.
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According to the committee report, the year 2023/24, Meru County collected about Ksh 381 million leaving a short fall of about Ksh 139 million of the target.
“It is my observation that possibly, there are porous revenue collection systems in our county. Some individuals could be involved in compromising the collection efforts through crooked methods. Therefore, it means we have not consolidated our collection system that we need to work on going forward” Kiriinya observed.
However, Nyaki East MCA Josphat Muuna took a different direction, pointing fingers at some of the elected leaders over what he termed as incitement to the public not to pay cess.
“We must acknowledge the role of political stability and tolerance when it comes to development issues in this county. In some markets, licenses are not being paid because some of the leaders chose to incite the traders not to pay as a way of settling our own political scores” said Muuna.
He however called on political leaders to seek ways of settling their scores without affecting the community and development.
By John Majau.
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