Zomba district council revenue collection up by 22%
As councils in the country are struggling to collect revenues, Zomba district council has a different story to tell on the same.
According to District Commissioner for Zomba Dr. Smart Gwedemula, the council has managed to increase it’s revenue by 22% for the past 12 months.
“This increase in revenue collection from our markets is coming because of team working and also we intesfield local revenue campaign where ward councillors and members of secretariat are involved,” said Gwedemula.
He added that the council has given priority to local revenue and supported initiative so that part of it should be sent back to Communities by providing good influstructures so that they should appreciate on how the council is using the revenue collected from them
The Commissioner also told our reporter that this increase in revenue collection has assisted the council to clear salary arrears for its direct employees.
“Previously, the council owed seven months salary arrears for direct employees which we have managed to reduce it to two months by October 2020,” he said.
To boost the council’s revenue collection further, Gwedemula said they are constructing Bwaila lodge and rehabilitating Kachulu rest house.
He said the two projects will add value to the revenue collection of the council once they are finished.
Gwedemula advised other councils to think outside the box by being creative to find other means of mobilising council resources.
Concurring with the district Commissioner, Desk Officer for the revenue collection at the council Elias Kudambo said good leadership at the council has assisted much to this 22% increased revenue collection.
Kudambo said the leadership of the council is able to make use of advise by others hence this improvement.
He added that some markets like Songani was previously collecting K40, 000 per week which has now increased to K100, 000 per week because of the targets allocated to each market as well as joint supervision.
“We have managed to increase revenue collection from K3.7 Million last year the same period to K4.8 Million this year,” added Kudambo.
He promised to remain the shining district council in revenue collection during and after Covid-19 pandemic which has negatively affected economic activities of the world.
Kudambo has so far named Jali market as the best after increased its revenues than any other market in the district.
He further added that the council is expecting to introduce E_Ticketing services to selected markets to simplify the system saying will also boost in the collection of the revenue.
Geoffrey Kapenuka is one of the direct employees bat the council who said things have really impressed because they are able to receive their salaries monthly than used to be before.
Zomba district council has been among other districts which has been facing financial constraints resulting in failing to pay its direct employees.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
This is good news. Congratulations Dr. Gwedemula and the entire staff of Zomba District Council for setting the pace. May the other councils emulate the good example. Tisamamve za misappropriation of funds mma council komanso failure to pay employees. All in all, congratulations ZDC.
Maybe it’s high time we started employing people at Master level to run our District Councils. Dr Gwedemula is a good example, let’s take the same energy to the Ends of Country. We do have a bright future in this Country
Government constructing and owning guest houses and lodges..
I guess our wonderful bureaucrats need to drive brand new 4x4s like in the above photograph
The private sector drives development; most of our beautiful leaders in Africa don’t seem to have got the message yet..