The Kirinyaga county government has launched a revenue mobilisation campaign to boost collection and prevent funds pilferage.
The campaign dubbed “Mapema Ndio Best” aims to get all the traders to pay levies due to the county government before the March 31 deadline.
The drive began on Friday with sensitisation roadshows that snaked through Kutus, Kagio, Sagana, Mutithi, Wanguru and Kimbimi towns.
The campaign seeks to reinforce Governor Anne Waiguru’s directive on a cashless payment system.
Waiguru has asked traders and property owners to embrace the system to pay fees such as parking, land rates, produce cess, business permits, and market stall fees.
Speaking during the roadshow Finance and Economic Planning executive Jackeline Njogu asked all business owners to cooperate in paying county levies to fund development projects.
To ensure roads are maintained, uninterrupted health services and drug supplies in hospitals, supply of clean drinking water to homes, residents must pay county fees.
“What we are asking is for people to pay for their licenses. All businesses must pay so that the county government can continue offering the much-needed services,” she said.
The CEC said the county government has a tax collection target of Sh550 million this year. She said currently the county is only collecting about 14 per cent of due tax.
“This year we are committed to collecting 100 per cent of our tax projection. We have collected data and we have seen that majority of people doing business are not paying necessary levies,” she said.
Njogu said the county is adopting the cashless revenue payment system so as to boost collection and seal leakages.
Lands CECM Samuel Kanjobe said the county government will act tough on all those who will not have paid land rates and physical planning approvals by the March 31 deadline.
He warned that non-compliance will attract heavy penalties.
His Sports, Culture and Social Services counterpart Dennis Muciimi said his department has intensified crackdown on all liquor outlets that have not complied with the County Liquor Licensing Act.
Muciimi warned bar owners against attempts to run away from paying their accrued liquor license fees through the change of user of ownership of their facilities.
“We have seen a trend where bar owners who have not paid for their licenses for two years now change the name of their outlets or come to register as new facilities. We will not accept this, all must pay the arrears,” he said.
