Government tasks councils on cashless revenue collection

Sole Administrators in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of Lagos State have been urged to embrace cashless revenue collection through the use of Information Technology, as this will prevent revenue leakages in their various councils.

The Commissioner of Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami, made this known at the weekend, at a-three day workshop, with the theme: “Impact of Cashless and Deployment of Information Technology System and Improvement on Internally Generated Revenue”, organised by the ministry for the administrators and Heads of Accounts and Finance, held at Orchid Hotel, Lekki.

Folami, who stated that the training is about acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitude, added that capacity building of the new council bosses is imperative and cannot be over-emphasised.

He added that the workshop would enable them and all heads of accounts and finance to have better understanding of the cashless policy and the operation of the system.

While reiterating that the workshop will create easy platform for ratepayers to make payment electronically and usage of POS for all transactions within the councils, he urged them to make use of the experience garnered there to face the challenges ahead.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Jafar Sanuth, implored the heads of accounts and finance to sensitise all the revenue collectors in various councils, on how to improve effectively on their operations, in order to eliminate all forms of revenue leakages.

The sole administrator of Bariga LCDA, who is also Chairman of Conference 57, Mr. Sanya Osijo, on behalf of others commended the state government for the workshop, noting that it will not only assist them on revenue generation, through cashless policy, but will also make it easier and safer for the rate payers to make payments with POS and other electronic means of payment.