The Finance Department says it is now collecting an average of one million kina a month in non-tax revenue since the introduction of EFTPOS machines in district treasuries.
Finance Secretary, Dr. Ken Ngangan, says non-tax revenue was up by 5 million kina in the last quarter.
Non-tax revenue comes from fees and charges placed on EFTPOS users. Accountability has always been a major concern, when it comes to cash payMen’s made to district treasuries.
In many cases, receipts are written but the revenue doesn’t find its way to finance coffers in Waigani.
But in the last three months, there’s been a marked difference in the amount of cash flowing into the finance department.
"The non-tax revenue has gone up," says the Finance secretary. "It means we have not been collecting all that money. Where has it gone in the past?"
In Bogia, the Finance Secretary commissioned the district treasury. It has been closed for the last five years. Central in this treasury office is an electronic accounting system and an EFTPOS machine.
Government success in the last 15 years has been riddled with controversies and failures. This is arguably the most successful district treasury rollout program so far complete with revenue inflows.
The finance secretary has been hard on those who report to him, especially, district treasurers. He has maintained that treasurers should stay where the money has been put – in the districts.
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