29 Nov 2018

Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Mathambo is aware of inadequate staffing at Tutume revenue office.

Mr Mathambo said the inadequacy was caused by the fact that one officer was on long-term training and was only expected back in office in May 2019.

Minister Mathambo further said two officers had been transferred on promotion recently, and said the process of replacing them had started. He pointed out that given the situation, officers from other treasury offices in the northern branch were assigned to the Tutume revenue office on relief basis, adding that the reliefs were done on a monthly rotational basis and mostly during peak periods.

He also pointed out that as part of the decentralisation of services to districts and taking services closer to the people, his ministry had taken a deliberate decision to open a treasury office at Nata in the Nata/ Gweta constituency.

He said the identified office building was currently under renovation and was expected to be operational in mid-2019.

Minister Mathambo further stated that the opening of the Nata treasury office was expected to ease the current workload in Tutume since most of the customers from Nata/Gweta constituency would be serviced at the Nata treasury office as opposed to the current arrangement where they were serviced in Tutume.

Nkange MP, Mr Edwin Batshu had asked the whether the minister would consider, as a matter of urgency, to increase the staff compliment at Tutume revenue office considering the current heavy workload against low staffing levels which impacted negatively on service delivery. ENDS