Meru contracts JamboPay in revenue collection deal

Meru County Revenue Board General Manager John Ntoiti during an interview with Daily Nation on Tuesday. The county government has contracted Jambo Pay to automate its major revenue streams starting Thursday this week. PHOTO | DAVID MUCHUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The system will be in operation from Thursday
  • Residents and businesspeople will pay parking fees, market fees, single business permits, land rates and advertising fees through the digital platform
  • Payments will be made through the USSD code *414#

The Meru County government has contracted JamboPay, a digital payment platform, to automate its major revenue streams as it seeks to raise Sh1 billion this financial year.

From Thursday, Meru residents and businesspeople will pay parking fees, market fees, single business permits, land rates and advertising fees through the digital platform.

The Kiraitu Murungi-led administration has been striving to improve local collections which also determine the amount of sharable revenue allocated to the counties.

USSD CODE

Meru County Revenue Board General Manager John Ntoiti said the digital payment system will also be rolled out in partnership with Cooperative bank.

Dr Ntoiti said JamboPay will facilitate payment platforms including mobile, credit and visa cards as well as through agents. Cooperative bank will ensure collections are remitted on the same day besides providing agents.

 “To pay, one will use a mobile USSD code *414# to register to the MeruPay platform. Money will be deposited in an e-wallet from which they can pay for various county fees and rates. This is meant to get to the unreached taxpayers to increase our local collections,” Dr Ntoiti said.

He said Jambo Pay will be required to remit the collections to the county government's account on the same day.

SEAL LOOPHOLES

In Nairobi, the auditor-general had raised concern over delays in remitting the money to the government's account.

“Having worked in Nairobi, I am aware of some issues that were raised there which must be addressed. The money must hit the county account on the same day, so that it is taken to the Treasury the next day. Also, payment cannot be done at the source,” he said.

The general manager said the board is striving to seal loopholes affecting revenue collection in the county. He said the board has been using the Meru Youth Service (MYS) members to set revenue targets with their engagement tripling earnings.

“Before we deployed Meru Youth Service members on our 15 cess collection points, we were making Sh530,000 per week. But the amount doubled to Sh1.1 million a week when they took over. We have now restored our revenue officers who are now collecting an average of Sh1.2 million a week,” he said.

UNSCRUPULOUS OFFICERS

Dr Ntoiti said the county was losing revenue to unscrupulous officers who would charge half of the rates set in the Finance Act.

The deployment of MYS recruits in Meru, Nkubu and Maua towns also saw parking fees increase by more than double. “Previously, our parking attendants were collecting an average of Sh76,000 a week but when the MYS took over, the weekly fees rose to Sh109,000. Last week, we collected Sh136,000 in Meru town. In Maua, the parking fees rose from Sh15,000 to Sh28,000 while in Nkubu parking fees went up from Sh15,000 to Sh60,000,” Dr Ntoiti said.

He said the board would duplicate the target setting model in collection of market fees and other revenue streams in future.