AfricaPress-Tanzania: SERENGETI District council has made significant progress on revenue collection after improving its collection systems, said the Council’s Executive Director (DED) Eng Juma Hamsini.
“Not even a single cent can pass without being noticed and everything is seen online and through my mobile phone,” Eng Hamsini said in Mugumu last week.
He attributed the sharp increase to levy accrued from tourist hotels registered by his council in recent years.
“Our revenue is now increasing every year, for example service levy from tourist hotels in 2013 was 12 m/- has now jumped to 675 m/-. Our projection is to collect 800 m/- if all goes well,” Eng Hamsini said.
Besides collecting service levy from tourist hotels inside and outside Serengeti National Park, the council also earns substantial money from other domestic sources.
The money, according to Eng Hamsini is then channeled to fund several community development projects, including improving education and health sectors.
“For example, part of the revenue was spent to finance district hospital project and construction of Mugumu bus stand,” he added.
However, Eng Hamsini refuted recent reports published in social media quoting some councillors claiming that part of the revenue was not deposited into the council’s accounts.
He said that was sheer lie, adding that the council has even been getting clean certificate from Controller and Auditor General (CAG) every year.
“The report is incorrect and we are financing development projects and running the council using the same revenue that we collect from various sources. There is no money that can get lost,” he added.
Speaking at the same time, the Serengeti district council chairman Mr Ayub Mwita Makuruma also refuted the reports saying that councillors were misquoted.
“Such a thing was not discussed in our meeting. Perhaps the councillors were misquoted,” said Mr Makuruma, who is also the Busawe Ward Councillor.
