City residents will henceforth pay for services offered by the county government using a new payment platform unveiled by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services last week.
The short code *647# replaces *235#, the NMS said in an advertisement on Friday.
“Nairobi County is now unified under *647#. Dial and access a one-stop platform for all your service delivery needs ranging from property management, land rates payments, market fees payment and parking fees payments," the advert read.
The short code *235# has been in use since June last year when City Hall terminated its 2014 revenue collection contract with Jambo Pay.
It was usable as long as one had funds in their M-Pesa account. All one had to do to make payment was to dial USSD *235# and pay using a stream of choice from a list provided.
The NRS will replace the Local Authority Integrated Financial Management System (Laifoms) that has been in existence since 2014.
Most of the county’s revenue streams like parking, rates, single business permits, fire inspection certificates, billboards advertisements and food handlers’ certificates have been automated.
With the core functions now under the NMS, the taxman is tasked with improving the county revenue collection.
City Hall has hardly collected Sh10 billion annually since the advent of devolution.
In the 2019-2020, financial year, Nairobi collected Sh8.3 billion against a target of Sh17.5 billion.
This was partly due to Covid-19 following reduced business activities from March when a curfew was declared to minimise the spread of the coronavirus that causes the disease.
KRA collected Sh1.86 billion in the last quarter of the financial year.
In March, the tax authority collected Sh495.53 million and Sh368.81 million in April. The collections for May and June were Sh412.14 million and Sh588.84 million respectively.
- mwaniki fm
