Homa Bay County taxpayers are set to enjoy a 15-day tax free holiday as the county embarks on conducting a forensic audit of the revenue collection system.
The new county boss, Gladys Wanga therefore declared the suspension of revenue collection starting today to pave the way for the auditing process which is to commence the same day.
This will enable the county to achieve accountability in the revenue collection department by ensuring all the revenue collected reaches the county government.
In a public statement, Wanga said the revenue collection suspension relates to the markets, market user charges, offloading charges, transportation of quarry material and fees for impounded articles.
Wanga said this extraordinary step was taken after coming to the realization of possible breaches in the revenue collection, remittance and management of county revenues.
“In the months of July and August 2022, the County Government experienced a disturbing pattern pointing at possible breaches. While a good number of officers tasked with the responsibility of collecting revenue have remained faithful and diligent, some few unscrupulous ones seem to have perfected the art of deceit and unfaithfulness,” she noted.
She added that this act of deceit must be confronted by putting in place a system that ensures there is no recurrence of such in the county as well as bringing the culprits to face the law.
The governor has therefore appointed a thirteen member multi-agency team to investigate and undertake a forensic audit of the County Revenue Collection and Management System and come up with proposed solutions to the tax problem experienced in the county.
The committee has been given a period of 21 days to submit a report to the office of the governor with its terms of reference.
This committee will be chaired by CPA Pollycap Okombo who is a financial specialist. He will be assisted by former KRA commissioner Kennedy Onyango, Tobias K’ Onyango another KRA employee, Eddie Malit who is an ICT expert, Erick Okong’o and Nyando Mireji will also be in the committee.
Other members are Caroline Oyier, Millicent Ogot, Caren Atieno Otieno, Patroba Oguma and Patrick Lumumba. Mary Nancy Opiyo and Alfred Onyango.
By Nicholas Otieno and Sitna Omar
