Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri has emphasised the need for local councils to embrace modern revenue collection mechanisms to ensure minimal leakages.
Phiri made the remarks in Lilongwe when NICO Tech pitched a digital platform called the Revenue Collection and Management Information System, which would help councils register and collect revenue from all businesses within their jurisdictions.
He observed that the conventional way of collecting revenue is prone to leakages and revenue mismanagement by some officers, but noted that the digital platform will enhance efficiency in councils.
Clarence Gama, Chief Executive Officer at NICO Tech, assured the government and the councils that the system is fraud-proof.
Executive Director at the National Local Government Finance Committee, Kondwani Santhe, described the innovation as an exciting moment for Malawi’s quest to ensure revenue is safeguarded and channelled towards service delivery.
Through the system, businesspeople will be able to settle their rates or taxes with their respective councils using mobile phones.
Meanwhile, the central government will be able to monitor the performance of local councils in revenue collection through a dashboard and determine how to support those that are underperforming.
By Isaac Jali
