Mbarara City Adopts new Reserve Prices For Uncontracted Revenue Sources

Mbarara City Council is gearing up to improve its local revenue base for the upcoming financial year by adopting new rates for several un-contracted revenue sources. These sources include loading and offloading, various markets like Biharwe and Nyamityobora for Matooke, slaughter fees at the central market, and parking fees.

According to the new reserve prices recommended by the city executive committee vice chairperson and deputy city mayor, Priscah Mulongo Muganzi,  the city projects to collect from Biharwe Matooke Market 4.6 Million shillings, Nyamityoboara daily Matooke market, 3.7 Million, Kikona Matooke Market 16 Million, central market parking 4.6 million, central market slaughter fees 4.1 million. 

All the markets will generate Shillings 2.7 million from loading and offloading fees weekly. Mulongo told the council that the reserve prices for most of the contracted revenue sources were hiked and the contractors have not been able to take up some contracts after realizing that they would be unable to raise the fees. She narrated that they set up a team of technocrats and assigned them to assess the six uncontracted revenue sources and come up with the right prices.

Muhammad Byansi, the Kakoba A ward councilor acknowledged the previous experience of poor remittances from contractors and failed collections by the council itself, and agreed that the fees be approved.

//Cue in: “Okurugirira aha experience… 

Cue out: …totakuza kweihayo nakikumi.”//

John Kaviigi, the Mbarara City Youth Councilor questioned whether proper procedures were followed and if all stakeholders, such as those in charge of revenue collection, the auditor, and the business community, were consulted before determining the rate. Mbarara City Council approved a budget of 80 billion Shillings for the 2022/23 financial year with a plan to raise 10.1 billion Shillings from local revenue. The remaining budget is largely funded by the central government transfers.

Meanwhile, the Mbarara City Council Speaker Bonny Tashobya has directed the Deputy City Town Clerk Lilian Kobusingye to open Nyamityobora Market boundaries before tendering it out. The matter that was raised in the multipurpose committee report, which showed that the market land was at risk of encroachers since it lacked proper boundaries despite having a land title.

Betty Tigefera, the representative of the elders and other city councilors said that the land had previously faced encroachment from some people who had surveyed it. Tashobya ordered the land boundaries to be opened in January in accordance with the title.

//Cue in: “akatare ako this… 

Cue out: …open the boundaries.”//      

Kobusingye promised the council that it will be done by the next sitting.