Chaurjahari Municipality exceeds revenue target

By Our Correspondent,Rukum West, Dec. 18: Chaurjahari Municipality of Rukum West has collected revenue in excess of its targets for the past two fiscal years. 

While the municipality had fallen behind its revenue collection target in the fiscal year 2021/22, it has exceeded its targets in the subsequent two fiscal years.

According to Acting Chief Administrative Officer Sher Prasad Dhakal, the revenue collection target for the fiscal year 2022/23 was set at Rs. 22.2 million. 

However, Rs. 23.2 million was collected. Similarly, in the fiscal year 2023/24, the target was set at Rs. 24.2 million, but Rs. 30.8 million was collected, Dhakal added. 

In contrast, during the fiscal year 2021/22, the municipality had targeted to raise Rs. 21.5 million in revenue but managed to collect only Rs. 18 million. 

Acting Chief Administrative Officer Dhakal attributed the success in the past two years to identifying revenue leakage areas, strengthening monitoring efforts, and implementing a revenue collection plan.

He noted that the offices responsible for revenue collection were made accountable, and employees were assigned specific revenue targets. 

Regular monitoring was carried out, and representatives and staff were motivated with rewards and recognition during municipal assemblies based on their performance. 

These measures, Dhakal highlighted, contributed significantly to surpassing the revenue collection targets.

Chaurjahari Municipality collected Rs. 51.6 million more in revenue during the fiscal year 2022/23 compared to 2021/22. 

Including the divisible fund, the municipality’s total revenue collection in 2022/23 stood at Rs. 28.03 million.

This year, the municipality deposited Rs. 4.83 million into the provincial divisible fund, surpassing the target of Rs. 4 million. According to regulations, 40 per cent of revenue generated from the extraction of river-based materials must be deposited into the divisible fund.

As Chaurjahari continues to develop as a new urban area, the expansion of market zones, property transactions, and extraction of river-based materials have significantly contributed to increased revenue collection.