UNDP donates US$300,000 for the training of WES tax collectors.

March 10, 2011 (Yambio) – United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has donated US$300,000 for the training of Western Equatoria state (WES) tax collectors, bolstering the state’s efforts to foster development.

WES, a poor and isolated state near the borders of Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has a history of conflict due to the six-year tyranny of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is dependent on block grants from Juba.

Local revenue projected for 2011 is SDG8 million (US$3 million), greater than the 2010 projection of SDG2.5 million (US$90,000). According to figures released by the state ministry of finance, in 2010, SDG2,710,148 ($US1 million) was accrued through tax collection – SDG 210,148 (US$76,000) more than projected.

2010 tax collection figures excluded the local revenues collected in the counties and other revenue generating units, that did not remit monies collected to the state ministry of finance.

Olympio Kodzo Attipox, UNDP’s local revenue specialist assured the state it would give the necessary training needed for the tax collectors.

Olympio urged the tax collectors “to love their job, regardless of the embarrassments they encounter in the field, to achieve the state’s development goal.”

In response, the state minister of finance, Evans Doctor applauded the UNDP for their assistance to the state, recognising that the “donation has come at the right time, when the state is in high need for capacity building and reconstruction as the state government prepares to receive eight per cent of its income from the local revenue as proposed in the 2011`s budget.”

Evans said “they are not going to receive the money in cash but they will prepare their staff to receive the training as soon as the UNDP is ready.”

As a mechanism to galvanise the state economy, Doctor plans to bring a printing machine for the production of driving licenses instead of the traffic police having to travel to Juba to produce the document.

The state revenue will soon occupy the former offices of ministry of finance as the ministry is set move to its new building this weekend.

Newly appointed officials to run the WES revenue authority include Director General, Lawrence Sulubia; Director for Non-Tax revenue, Henry Atirio; and Director of tax revenue, James Richard.

The minister urged the newly appointed directors to co-operate with the director generals in various ministries at the state level to ensure transparency in the collection.

The state revenue authority has a special bank account with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) to help in the management of daily collections.

However, the state is still facing other challenges such as insecurity, a negative attitude of the citizens towards the tax collection and accountability.

In related news, the WES finance minister, Evans Doctor, on Tuesday presented to parliament the 2011 budget of SDG143 million (US$52 million) for approval.

(ST)