'Sub-county chiefs connive to steal funds'
Jun 20, 2009
SUB-county officials connive with procurement officers and contractors to embezzle funds, the Kisoro district chairman, Philemon Mateke, has said.
By stephen Nuwagira
SUB-county officials connive with procurement officers and contractors to embezzle funds, the Kisoro district chairman, Philemon Mateke, has said.
“It is sad that the finance department’s failure to collect local revenue is due to lack of supervision,†he said during the presentation of the 2009/10 budget at the district headquarters on Monday.
Mateke added that if such loopholes were not looked into, the district was headed for disaster.
Matters almost got out of hand after the officials from the budget office said the budget speech had not yet been prepared. The council session was delayed for three hours amid grumbling from the officials.
“Why should we wait for hours for an activity that was planned?†William Harera, the speaker, asked. “The revenue officers must also pull up their socks because each year revenue collection goes down,†he added. The district had projected to collect sh227.5m in local revenue last year only to get sh114.4m.
In the current budget, the finance secretary, Joseph Sebatwale, said the district hoped to raise sh13.4b, 80% of which would come from the Government.
He said the district would start collecting local service tax and hotel tax.
SUB-county officials connive with procurement officers and contractors to embezzle funds, the Kisoro district chairman, Philemon Mateke, has said.
“It is sad that the finance department’s failure to collect local revenue is due to lack of supervision,†he said during the presentation of the 2009/10 budget at the district headquarters on Monday.
Mateke added that if such loopholes were not looked into, the district was headed for disaster.
Matters almost got out of hand after the officials from the budget office said the budget speech had not yet been prepared. The council session was delayed for three hours amid grumbling from the officials.
“Why should we wait for hours for an activity that was planned?†William Harera, the speaker, asked. “The revenue officers must also pull up their socks because each year revenue collection goes down,†he added. The district had projected to collect sh227.5m in local revenue last year only to get sh114.4m.
In the current budget, the finance secretary, Joseph Sebatwale, said the district hoped to raise sh13.4b, 80% of which would come from the Government.
He said the district would start collecting local service tax and hotel tax.