Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr. Matthew Owili on Tuesday inaugurated the Kisumu Revenue Board that will be in charge of revenue collection in the County.
The board led by Dr. Hezron McObewa will have the mandate to collect revenue for the county.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Mc’Obewa reaffirmed their commitment to enhance revenue collection to achieve the set targets.
“We will ensure efficiency in the management of revenue collection and meet the set targets to place Kisumu where it is supposed to be,” he said.
While inaugurating the board Dr. Owili said that the board is expected to raise revenue collection currently standing at Sh.1.2 billion to over Sh.2 billion.
The authority is created by an act of the County Assembly.
“You have full support of the executive to collect revenue and must be guided by integrity as the guiding principle in discharging your mandate,” noted Owili.
He further said the authority will from now look into enhancing collection of revenue by looking into avenues such as rates, sand harvesting, weigh bridges, billboards among others so as to widen revenue collection base.
“The authority is autonomous and the county government will not interfere with its operations but only offer directions where it is called to,” observed Owili.
The Deputy Governor also cited lack of professionalism in the revenue collection system as the main challenge adding that with the inauguration of the board the system will be streamlined and areas where the county has been losing revenue tightened.
He said that the board will be expected to sign performance contracts like all the other sectors of government and that must move with speed to negotiate their contracts with the County Minister for Finance.
Underscoring the need to work within the provision of the law, he directed the board to carry out its duty without fear or favor and not to tolerate any element of corruption.
Finance CEC George Okong’o said the county is under performing in revenue collection adding that the target of the county government is to collect over Sh.2 billion.
“We expect good Governance of the revenue management system in terms of technology, data management,” he said.
Other members of the board include Mary Celestine Odhiambo, Chandrakant Devji Chhabhadia, Stephen Ouma Owiti, Amondi Mary Apiyo and Prof.Ondiek Benedict Alala.Also present at the meeting was Public Service CEC Judith Oluoch, Chief of Staff Daniel Opiyo among other county officials.