Local Council One chairpersons in Njeru Town Council Buikwe district have shunned mobilizing residents to pay property tax.
The chairpersons come from the 36 villages in Njeru town council.
The local councilors say there is no reason to mobilise residents to pay property rates when the town council authorities do not recognize their role in community as village chairpersons.
The chairpersons say Njeru town council has not remitted 20% of the local revenue collected in to the villages which has affected their work.
Yusuf Kamya, the Kasanja LC1 chief is one of the oldest local council chairpersons in the area.
He says the 20% meant for the villages was last received by the chairpersons in 2001. This has affected community mobilization in form of village meetings where the residents can be sensitized about important issues like property tax.
Samuel Sajjabi, LC1 chairperson for Namuwaya zone, says in a bid to collect property tax in his village, he is put in a situation to account for money that he has not received. He says some receipts should be printed to help the local council one chairpersons follow up on who has paid and those who haven’t paid tax.
Dammy Buregyeya from Triangle zone accuses Njeru town council of exploiting the village chairpersons. He says in the last ten years he has mobilized residents to pay property tax but after the receiving the money the council does not offer any form of incentive to lower local councilors.
\\ Cue in: “Now you can wonder how…
Cue out:…guts to do the same.”//
Njeru Town Clerk Ronald Kawuma says Njeru town council loses close to 800 million shillings a year in form of uncollected property rates tax.
Paul Musoke, town council LC 3 chairperson, says the 20% of local revenue meant for the villages will be paid to the chairpersons commencing next financial year 2012/2013.
