Collection taskforces set up

National

By HELEN TARAWA
The Government has announced the release of about K1 million for revenue generation and collection taskforces established as part of its post-election first 100-day plan.
Attorney-General Davis Steven made the announcement yesterday while witnessing the release of the deed for a K1.8 million debt for a land information project with the Department of Land and Physical Planning.
He said the emphasis of the Government’s 25-point plan in its supplementary budget was the need for resource-generating agencies and departments to be functional, efficient and effective.
Steven said the department would receive K500,000 to enable it to bring in revenue to support the supplementary budget and the 2018 budget focus.
“There are two separate taskforces, one will be driven by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning led by Minister Tkatchenko, which is focused on land rental collections, and the other will be on illicit trade customs and Internal Revenue Commission,” he said.
Steven said the Government was serious and was taking the opportunity now to correct errors in the system.
“We need not keep borrowing; we must not keep running back to IMF, World Bank and everybody,” he said.
“We have the money here but somebody is holding onto it. We need to stop the thieves and stop where the leaks are.
“Begin to take stock, that’s my interest as the attorney-general, I want to make sure that we strengthen the laws and identify the gaps and fix them up.
“It’s in the work that you do in these agencies and the taskforce is a key approach for us, so with the state solicitor we will be supporting that.”