AfricaPress-Tanzania: REVENUE collectors from councils in Rukwa Region are allegedly to have swindled over 928m/- being domestic revenues they had collected.
That the sum had not been banked until April 23, this year: the revenue collectors are Village Executive Officers (VEO).
In addition to that VEO from Kalambo District Council accused for allegedly swindling 260,496,059/- being domestic revenue they had collected.
Due to such malpractice councilors in the region have not been paid their arrears amounting to over 450m/-, while councilors from Kalambo District Council have not paid more that 80m/- being their arrears including sitting allowances.
Following that setback the Kalambo District Council Chairman Mr Daudi Sichone declared that all defaulters be sacked from their duties and arraign them to court.
Expounding Mr Sichone said that such vices started by few revenue collectors then many of them copied such evil habits by using domestic revenues they had collected.
“These revenue collectors are not defaulters but they are thieves ….and most of them they are not afraid of being interrogated by Prevention and Combating of Corruption (PCCB) officials for the best reason known to them,” he noted.
Mr Sichone reacted that way during full council meeting of which councilors discussed financial reports of Controller Audit General (CAG) held at Matai small town and attended by the Rukwa Regional Commissioner (RC) Mr Joachim Wangabo.
Contributing the Mambwenkoswe Ward Councillor, Mr Edwin Msipi said the council has been paralysed financially due to dishonest revenue collectors who have allegedly swindled the domestic revenues they had collected.
He further said that due to such malpractice construction of several development projects have been stalled.
“Indeed due to lack of money we are suffering a lot as we owe our council a lot of money …..Am not sure if councilors from other councils in the country are also suffering like us….. This is because revenue collectors have swindled our money…..domestic revenues…
I agreed with Mr Sichone that all revenue collectors who have swindled our money must be arraigned into court and prosecuted” he added.
On his part, RC Wangabo directed all councils in the region to ensure that they collect over 450m/- at the end of this month that the collected revenues be spent for settling councilors long overdue arrears.
He urged councilors to supervise closely the domestic revenue collections, “These defaulters are yours and you have mandate to punish them but if you (councilor) need our assistance my office and the office of Kalambo District Commissioner are at your disposal,” explained the RC.
