Zombo sub-counties struggling to make ends meet with no local revenue sources

ZOMBO, UGANDA: A section of LC3 Chairpersons in Zombo district are demanding a policy review on the 35 per cent remittance of central government transfers allocation of subcounties to the district to enhance the capacity of services tendered to the various communities.

According to the chairpersons, the policy s at times not implemented in the respective subcounties due to the absence of local revenue generation sources such as markets, agricultural produce dues and property taxes from commercial houses among others.

This, the leaders say is largely attributed to inequality in infrastructural allocations during the creation of town councils and no deliberate strategic plan to economically empower the sub-counties and contravenes the objectives of the local government act of 2005 that seeks to give full effect to the decentralization of functions, powers responsibilities and services at all levels of local government.

During an interview with DailyExpress, Mr Cekecan James, LC3 Chairperson of Warr subcounty said his subcounty doesn’t have any local revenue generation sources because the then newly created Warr town council took over all the sources that used to generate revenue for the subcounty now they depend on the Central government transfers which at times delays and occasionally only half of the allocations released affecting service delivery.

“Warr town council was created out of Warr sub-county, and all the markets and commercial houses are now for the Town Council leaving the subcounty with no local revenue generation sources, ” said James

The 35 per cent remittance of central government transfers of subcounties to district spares Town Councils with 100 per cent disbursement of all local government transfers and local revenue recorded under the Integrated Revenue Administration System (IRAS).

Mr Orwothwun Melki, the LC3 Chairperson of Padea Town Council revealed how he is creating more sources of local revenue generation by creating more local markets with very low market dues to attract investors from especially DR Congo.

Additionally, Mr Melki prayed for a policy review to help the different subcounties to effect service delivery using the 35 per cent remittance of central government transfers of subcounties that can help the political leaders to open roads or timber deck bridges other than remittance to the district, which services might not trickle down to the subcounties in time and also not a priority for communities.

“The district has a wider scope of rendering services, maybe if they should get something from the subcounties they should reduce the percentage to 20 and 80 per cent to serve Subcounties that are financially crippled because the 35 per cent can finance the opening of roads and timber decking a bridge”. said Melki during an interview.

Zombo district local government has 11 subcounties that contribute 35 per cent of Central government transfers meant for Subcounties’ budgetary allocations to fund services tendered by the district in the subcounties.

Most subcounties do not have local revenue generation sources which lead to over-dependence and ineffective service delivery, especially in scenarios of delayed and half disbursement of the central government transfers frustrating the implementation of the Budget of the various subcounties in the district.