Leaders and staff of Kyenjojo Town Council have been encouraged to accept the use of the IRAS system in revenue collection. This was in a training and revenue meeting held at Kyenjojo Town Council Hall.

The Integrated Revenue Administration system (IRAS) is an online and mobile application platform that enables local governments and cities to collect revenue through registration, assessment, billing, payment awareness raising for taxpayers, and connecting residents to local governments.

While opening the session, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Ssenku Samuel Kimuli informed participants that Local revenue is one of the backbones of Local government and thus It’s important to tap into these sources of revenue to uplift the economic stand of the district. He emphasized that Kyenjojo Town Council has a potential to collect even over 1billion shillings if well organized. He also encouraged everyone to work as a team, if they are to fulfill their revenue collection targets. He thanked them for being the leader in revenue collection across the district, and the two most outstanding performers, Mr. Sunday Jimmy, Town Agent and Akugizibwe James, Senior Treasurer  were rewarded with Certificates of Appreciation, for the outstanding revenue collection efforts.

The Deputy CAO hands over a certificate to Mr. Sunday Jimmy for his outstanding performance in revenue collection.

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) Kyenjojo District, Mr. James Fred Mugabi, encouraged everyone to embrace IRAS as it promotes transparency, and efficiency. “Whatever is collected reflects in the system immediately. It is easier knowing which tax payers have not paid. Physical cash collections are very tempting and fraudulent, and should be avoided at all costs. Taxes can now be paid in banks, on mobile money, from agents”, he remarked.

CFO, Mr. James Fred Mugabi

 Facilitating the training, the District IRAS focal person, Mr. Jordan Alicwamu, emphasized the positivity IRAS has brought about, he remarked that IRAS has helped reduce paper work and expenditure on receipt books, improved revenue collections, increased compliance levels, reduced on turnaround time, increased efficiency, as collection can be received from anywhere, and anytime. There has also been easy monitoring and supervision of revenue collection with the system reflecting every activity.

Mr. Jordan Alicwamu, District IRAS Focal Person

In his presentation, it was realized that since the inception of the use of IRAS, there has been a big jump in revenue collections compared to when revenue was being collected manually and cash payments.

Participants thanked the district team for the initiative, and promised to implement the use of the system, and the political leaders promised to sensitize their electorate to embrace the system. The town and ward agents however requested the adjustment of the system to be run on financial year basis rather than the calendar year. With the calendar year currently being used, a lot of revenue is bound to be lost.

In his remarks, Mr. Walugaba Laurent, the Speaker Kyenjojo Town Council called upon the councilors to attend ward meetings and talk about revenue collection and publicize other government programs like PDM, YLP so the population can know their stake in the development of their area. “Revenue collection is a collective effort. We all have a role to play in revenue collection. After such training, we should see progress coz we have been empowered”, he remarked.

While closing the training, the Mayor Kyenjojo Town Council, Mr. Geoffrey Businge Kagoro urged the Town clerk to try and get radio airtime for the political wing to get involved in revenue collection sensitization as they know the population better, and the electorates listen more to them than the technical wing of the Town Council.