DODOMA: HAI District Council is seeking to boost its local revenue by adopting Dodoma City Council’s zonal collection system, which organises revenue collection according to economic activities.
Hai District Council Chairperson, Mr Edmund Rutaraka, said the delegation visited Dodoma to identify effective approaches that could be adapted to the district’s needs.
He said local revenue was essential for councils to fulfil their responsibilities and improve service delivery to residents.
Dodoma City Council Deputy Mayor, Mr Bakari Fundikira, said the city had introduced service zones to bring services closer to residents, simplify collection procedures and improve efficiency.
Council Revenue Officer, Mr Jackson Magawa, said Dodoma had divided its areas into seven zones based on economic activities to make revenue collection more organised and effective.
Zone Three covers industrial areas and generates substantial revenue through the service levy, while Zone Four covers residential areas in Dodoma Makulu.
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Zones Five, Six and Seven cover the peri-urban areas of Kikuyu, Mipango and Hombolo, respectively. Mr Magawa said the zoning system had simplified collection by enabling the council to organise its operations according to the economic characteristics of different areas.
The visit forms part of efforts by local authorities to exchange experiences and identify effective approaches to revenue collection and strategic development.
Several councils from mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar have visited Dodoma to learn from its revenue collection and development initiatives.
In May this year, Councillors and experts from Ilemela Municipal Council in Mwanza Region also visited Dodoma to study strategic development projects aimed at increasing revenue, stimulating economic growth and improving social services.
Dodoma City Council Economist, Mr Mataso Ndege, said the city was implementing initiatives to increase revenue and reduce dependence on central government funding.
“The initiatives also aim to attract investment, improve the city’s appearance, create employment opportunities and strengthen public services,” he said.
Mr Ndege said implementation of strategic projects had been divided into three phases.
The first phase included the Government City Complex at Mtumba, Dodoma City Hotel and the Machinga open-air market, which he said had been completed.