Prioritise council needs,’ Babati MP urges govt

MARIAM JUMA in Babati

THE Babati Urban Legislator, Ms Paulina Gekul has requested the Government to allow Municipal, District and Town Councils to run their collected revenue independently so that they address their responsibilities smoothly.

Making the request here while addressing Babati Bus Stand traders, Ms Gekul (Chadema) said the decision by the Central Government to collect revenue from the Council(s) is affecting them negatively, and making them stagnate in development.

She said revenue collected as building levies were important for the Council as they charge them 2,000/- per house that has now increased to 10,000/- annually, as well as advertising posters, land rent, abattoirs, which however, have been shifted to the Central Government, besides others which have been scrapped.

Ms Gekul further said that scrapping crops levy to 10 bags has hugely affected the Babati Council, forcing growers and businesspersons to transport their yields in small quantities to avoid paying taxes. She pointed out that the tactic has made ordinary traders to refuse to pay taxes once they pass across gates meant for such collections.

Ms Gekul cited other sources the Council banks on to collect revenue as collections from petty traders, vegetable sellers, food vendors, bodaboda riders and Street hawkers, though with hurdles after the Parliament had directed that they should target the Bus Stops’ kiosks which should also not be charged more than 800,000/- per month.

Including hotels which do not have Five Star statuses as also part of their revenue collections, she noted that the authority was collecting proceeds which have made them renovate Health Centres, and staff quarters of their personnel, as well as the quality of the markets, citing the Main Babati one that was renovated at 70m/- and Silentini that was repaired at 40m/-.

Saying that the Council currently has run out of funds to run other activities, she further said: “I want you to understand that these decisions are affecting us negatively because currently we collect less than 20m/- a month, yet we need more than 80m/- in the same stint. I tried my level best to fight that such revenue should not be channelled to the Central Government, but the majority in the Parliament did not take heed and we are now suffering.”