Soroti City Records Growth in Local Revenue Collection.

By Peterson Hiirya.

Soroti City—The City Clerk of Soroti City, Paul Batanda, has said the city has registered steady improvement in local revenue collection over the years, a development he attributes to increased transparency and the adoption of digital systems.

Speaking at the Soroti City Council offices, Batanda noted that the city’s local revenue performance has gradually grown.

In previous financial years, the city used to collect between 1.2 billion and 2 billion shillings annually, but in the last financial year, the collections increased significantly to about 2.9 billion shillings.

Batanda said the improved performance is a clear indication that reforms in the revenue collection system are beginning to yield results.

Earlier, the Deputy Town Clerk Ochiengel Badiru during the Face of the Nation talk show on TBS Radio emphasized that transparency and the introduction of the Integrated Revenue Administration System (IRAS) have played a major role in improving revenue collection.

According to Badiru, the IRAS system allows authorities to track revenue collected on a daily basis, making the process more transparent. He added that apart from a few contracted companies, most revenue payments in the city are now processed through the digital IRAS platform.

However, Batanda noted that revenue collections have slowed slightly in recent weeks due to the ongoing political season. Despite this, the city plans to intensify revenue mobilization campaigns to encourage residents and businesses to comply with tax obligations such as trading licenses, property rates, and ground rent.

The city has also faced challenges with some private companies that were previously contracted to collect revenue on its behalf. Reports indicated that some companies failed to remit funds collected from taxpayers.

Following investigations and recommendations from oversight authorities, several of the companies were stopped from operating.

Batanda said new contractors have since been appointed, and the council is closely monitoring their performance to ensure accountability and transparency.

One of the key areas of reform, he added, is revenue collection in city markets. Previously, market dues were collected using paper receipts issued by contracted collectors, a system that often lacked transparency.

He acknowledged that the city contracted several companies that are collecting taxes and such use ordinary receipts, which he said that is changing and will be no more with the new system in place.

“The city is now shifting to the IRAS electronic revenue collection system, which allows vendors to pay their dues directly through digital platforms, including mobile money services on their phones.” Batanda said

By reducing cash transactions, the council hopes to minimize corruption and improve accountability in revenue management.

Batanda said the system has already been piloted successfully, and plans are underway to fully roll it out across the city.

Despite the progress, the city leadership acknowledges that challenges remain, particularly with individuals and businesses that avoid paying taxes.

Authorities say strengthening compliance will be critical to improving revenue and enabling the city to deliver better services to residents.