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Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu City Council has approved an annual fee of Shillings 48,000 for boda boda riders operating within the city. This is an increase of Shillings 28,000 set in the financial year 2020/2021. There are over 7,000 boda boda riders in Gulu operating under various boda boda associations.
Alfred Okwonga, the Gulu City Mayor says that they set the fees after holding consultations with the leadership of various boda boda groups. He says that the riders will have an option of either paying weekly Shillings 1000, monthly Shillings 40,000 or annually Shillings 48,000.
According to Okwonga, the two boda boda associations that shall be formed in each division in the city shall be responsible for collecting the fees and remit 50 percent to the city council.
Geoffrey Oyoo, the Gulu City senior finance officer revealed that with the projection of 10,000 boda boda riders in Gulu city, they anticipate collecting Shillings 480 million. He says after deducting their 50 percent, the collectors will remit Shillings 240million to the city.
According to Oyoo, in the last financial year, Gulu City Council was not able to raise any revenue from the riders due to factors he did not reveal. The fee was approved during an emergency council meeting held to pass the chargeable rates for businesses and properties in Gulu city for the financial year 2021/2022.
Other fees approved include the monthly rental of stalls at Gulu main market at Shillings 15,000 each and Shillings 7,000 in other markets, annual fee of Shillings 100,000 for butcheries, Shillings 40,000 annual fee on each hotel and restaurant among others.
Moses Ojok, the chairman of Gulu Northern City boda boda association says that they held a meeting with the city council authorities where they determined the fees. Morris Odong, the councilor for Pece Laroo division -South says that for Gulu City Council to realize its targeted revenue collection, there is need to mend the leakages in the revenue collection process.
According to Odong, the council should introduce electronic means of payment of taxes and revenue to avoid losing money in the collection processes. Gulu City’s locally raised revenue is projected at Shillings 3,884,844,200 representing 10.5 per cent of the total revenue expected for the financial year 2021/2022.
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