BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
MALAITA provincial government continues to face setbacks with its revenue collection, an issue endured since past financial years.
Finance Minister for MPG, Randol Sifoni highlighted this in his 2023/2024 revised budget speech on the floor of assembly on Monday this week.
He said that for the first six months of 2023/2024 financial year, MPG has not improved in its revenue collection.
Sifoni said this however needs effective team networking between local business owners, ward development committee, provincial administration and the assembly to boost it.
He said this is super-important in order to realise all uncollected revenue potentials the province has forgone in recent years.
In that Sifoni called on all MPAs for greater collaboration with their Ward Development committees (WDCs) to identify revenue sources in their respective wards.
He said there are illegal business continue to operate in all the wards, and they need to register to serve the purpose of increasing tax collections by the provincial government.
Sifoni said further to the issue, MPG’s treasury division has shortage of revenue officers and recruitment must done to have needed staff in-place.
He added that MPG also need an effective treasurer to lead the team.
Sifoni said Malaita province depend very much on its internal revenue to facilitate ward grants and other services to 33 wards of Malaita province.
