Boda Boda sector in Migori has urged the County Government to fully embrace the digitisation of revenue collection in the sector.
Migori County Boda Boda Association (MCBA) Chairperson Mr. Jack Ogolla said that the county revenue collectors were dishing out fake and dubious receipts to the boda boda riders with malicious aims unknown to them.
Ogolla said that some of the boda boda riders have been harassed by the county revenue collectors because of possessing fake and underpaid receipts issued by their officers.
“Our members are being issued with fake receipts while others have been given a Sh100 receipt with Sh50 recorded,” he lamented.
He said that digitisation of the revenue sector will face fake out and under-quoted receipts from mischievous officials.
The official added that it was in good faith if the sector was fully automated to ensure that the revenue generated is pumped back to the sector to improve the boda boda sector.
The chairperson also called upon the county management to ensure that the Boda Boda Development Funds (BDF) is allocated in the budget to help cushion the boda boda riders from hard economic times.
“We have already established Boda Boda Associations in all of our 10 sub counties and it will be important if the county government assisted the sector to help it generate more revenue through the establishment of Boda Boda Development Funds,” Ogolla noted.
Ogolla applauded the administration for honoring their plea of reducing by half the weekly levy of Shs100. He, however, asked the relevant revenue department to ensure that the receipts issued reflected the said amount to encourage the sector’s growth.
He pinpointed that boda boda was the biggest revenue collection sector in the county and with over 60,000 members the county can still do better.
The official urged the county administration to sit down with the sector and formulate a work plan that will streamline the revenue sector, create jobs for their members and boost the social economic agenda of the boda boda industry.
In 2021, Migori County proposed digitisation of revenue collection that was yet to be implemented. The cashless payment through Mpesa aimed to increase county finances and fight revenue collection graft.
The previous regime employed enforcement officers to help revenue collectors implement the county’s financial acts.
Governor Ochilo Ayacko had promised the sector that he will prioritise the digitisation of the revenue collection from all the revenue collection departments in the county.
In the 2022-2023 Financial Year, the county had a total turnover local revenue collection of Sh350 Million and according to the county statistics, the 60,000 registered boda boda industry has the potential of collecting Sh100 Million if the sector is fully automated in terms of revenue collection.
Early this year, the national government came up with a plan to register all the Boda Boda riders across the county for purposes of identification, revenue collection, and enrollment to digitalised platform for smart licenses.
By Geoffrey Makokha
