By Victor Seda

The Migori revenue collection department has benefited from 10 motorcycles from Migori County Government with the aims to ease mobility challenges

Speaking at his official residence during the flagging off event, Migori County Governor Zachary Obado said the motorcycles will also help boost revenue collections.

Governor Obado said noted that the county revenue collection has been too low since 2013 because of lack of proper and inadequate facilities.

He said that the motorcycles will help the revenue collectors achieve the set internal revenue collection target that have never been made.

“Our county is able to collect about Sh100,000 million from Boda boda business annually if we are serious in what we are doing,’’ said Obado.

He acknowledged that the county had made infrastructure better and most roads were passable.

Obado urged the revenue collectors to use the motorcycles to collect levies in all comers of the county.

“Our revenue officers have been given new motorcycles for mobility purposes to help them move around and collect revenues and there is no reason why they should not surpass our revenue collection targets,” said Obado.

He pointed out that the revenue collections have been too low yet the population is always growing and businesses expanding.

He asked the revenue department to change tactics and strategies in order to ensure revenue collection targets are meant.

The governor noted that recently the county government had recruited enforcement officers to help revenue officers in implementing county financial acts.

To ensure maximum revenue collection, the county chief tasked the tax collectors to ensure that businesses have the required and correct permits and levies collected to ensure better services for Migori residents.

He also warned shrewd collectors who were were pocketing county revenue that the law will catch up with them.

However a rollout of a cashless payment through Mpesa will ensure that no one pays in cash to discourage corruption, he said.

He asked the revenue department to be creative and look for avenues that are possible to assist in revenue collection. Obado said that the demand for services to ‘mwananchi’ was too high while the revenue collected was not enough.

But the governor acknowledged that the county needed to harvest its potential in revenue collection in order to better the lives of the residents.

To ensure this, Obado requested the revenue officers to ensure that the motorbikes are used effectively and properly to ensure they serve the purpose that they were meant for.