By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Mbale city has miserably failed to hit its Local Revenue target of Shs6Billion as planned for in the FY 2023/24 budget.
This was revealed by Mbale City Mayor, Cassim Namugali while speaking to our reporter on Monday, 22nd April, 2024 in an exclusive phone interview.
Namugali says that two months to the close of the FY 2023/2024, the revenue team has only managed to collect 30% of the expected Shs6Billion.
The Mayor on Monday, 22nd April, 2024 summoned all Technocrats and political leaders in the city to Mbale city chambers to look at ways of how the city can collect 6 billion shillings in local revenue before the end of this financial year but majority shunned the meeting over unknown reasons.
Namugali also says that they had planned to use part of that 6 billion shillings local revenue to procure an ambulance and a grader to help the city in doing road works since the one they have is non-functional.
Musa Kasaja, the Speaker of Industrial City Division also doubling as Chairperson tax collection in Mbale city denied allegations that it is politicians keeping vendors on the streets which has affected tax collection in the city as alleged by technical Leaders in the city.
He says he has severally demanded the technical team to name those politicians whom they accuse of keeping vendors on the streets but they have failed.
Kasaja also put blamed the technical team headed by the town clerk for failing to enforce the removal of vendors from the streets by using Law enforcement officers and police.
He says it’s them who have kept the vendors on the streets technically and then blame the politicians.
Meanwhile, Mbale city closed over 100 Business premises on Monday for failing to pay ground rent and licenses.
