House committee recommends new plan to boost revenues

Governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) and Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri) in Malindi on September 7, 2018. [Photo, Standard]

The county government hopes to raise Sh1.2 billion annually through a new revenue collection system launched.

The system, christened NyeriPay, will see residents pay for county services using their mobile phones or pre-loaded electronic cards.

Launching the system yesterday, Governor Mutahi Kahiga said they had found it necessary to look for other ways of raising revenue to plug a Sh160 million budget cut by the National Treasury.

"The county government has generated an extra Sh117 million since the new financial year started and we hope to increase this amount through the NyeriPay system,” Mr Kahiga said.

He said other than increasing efficiency in revenue collection, NyeriPay would seal corruption loopholes as county officials would no longer handle cash.

“We will place NyeriPay machines everywhere, from the quarries to the markets, to reduce the temptation that comes with handling cash. You will just need to produce your card or pay through M-Pesa,” said the governor.

Residents will use the system to pay for parking, hotel and bar licences, fines and county government housing.

Kahiga said the system would not only improve the process of collecting revenue but also provide employment for local youths.

“The County Public Service Board has agreed to allow us to hire 30 people to help facilitate this revenue collection process," he said.

"The system will also provide us with a remote mechanism to monitor revenue collection from the county headquarters."

The county assembly's Finance committee had recommended that the executive should adopt a new method to ease payment of taxes, according to Speaker John Kaguchia.

"The county assembly will provide oversight and ensure revenue collected is used properly," he added.