Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Abstract:- Own Source Revenue (OSR) is a key source Keywords:- Busia County, Own Source Revenue, Cess,
of revenue for local governments across the globe, and Awareness, Policy and Legal Framework.
has been since 2013, an important compliment to
National Government financing streams such as I. INTRODUCTION
Conditional Grants and Equitable Share of the revenue.
An important part of successful OSR collection and The past 25 years have witnessed a notable trend
administration is the clearly communicated policies and towards fiscal decentralization, with more than 75 nations
legislations which presupposes stakeholders’ awareness globally adopting this approach for local and subnational
of such instruments has a positive correlation with policy governance, as highlighted by the World Bank (2018). By
implementation. This research paper examined the levels the late 1990s, around 80% of these countries had embarked
of awareness of policies regulating agricultural products on various forms of decentralization, aiming to enhance the
in Busia County, aiming to uncover disparities in efficiency of public goods and services delivery in
awareness across different stakeholder groups. The alignment with the changing political and economic
study analyzed responses from Revenue Collection dynamics of the Post-Cold War era. Europe has been at the
Officers, Revenue Collection Enforcement Officers, forefront of fiscal decentralization, with countries like
Revenue Administrators, Tax Payers (both transit and Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and Spain
non-transit). The paper interpreted findings through the leading the way, as elucidated by Munyua, Muchina &
lens of the theory of fiscal decentralization, emphasizing Ombaka (2018). In the United States, a shift towards fiscal
adaptable public services and efficient decision-making. decentralization is evident through the delegation of services
The findings of the results indicate significant variation like welfare, Medicaid, legal services, housing, and job
in policy awareness across stakeholder groups. While training to regional governments (Munyua, Muchina &
many revenues collection officers, Enforcement Officers, Ombaka, 2018, p. 48).
and Administrators show awareness, a substantial
portion of Tax Payers - Non-Transit lack awareness, The African continent, including sub-Saharan Africa,
highlighting the need for targeted awareness campaigns. has embraced fiscal decentralization, with countries like
Awareness of the National OSR Enhancement Policy and Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali,
the Busia County Cess Act also varies, emphasizing the Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and
importance of tailored communication strategies. Kenya adopting mechanisms to decentralize fiscal
Participation in county development processes is diverse, responsibilities, primarily aimed at broadening the tax base
with higher engagement among Revenue Collection (Munyua, Muchina & Ombaka, 2018). This strategy has
Officers, Enforcement Officers, and Administrators. Tax been linked to substantial economic growth in sub-Saharan
Payers - Transit show low involvement, suggesting a Africa, registering an average annual increase of 5.66%
need for targeted engagement strategies. Additionally, between 2004 and 2013 (Munyua, Muchina & Ombaka,
the study examines training and sensitization efforts, 2018, p. 48). Notably, the significant growth observed in
revealing that a majority have not been trained on East Africa has been attributed to decentralized taxation
county policies. In conclusion, this research underscores policies that curbed tax evasion and expanded the taxation
the significance of addressing awareness disparities to scope to previously untapped areas (Adam Smith
enhance policy adaptation and effectiveness, in International, 2020).
alignment with the principles of fiscal decentralization.
By fostering inclusive and informed decision-making,
Busia County can create a more efficient and responsive
policy landscape, catering to the unique needs and
preferences of its diverse stakeholders and improve the
uptake of the Cess Policy.
Marital Status of Respondent which could have implications for how they perceive and
The marital status of the respondents showcases a engage with county government policies, including those
balanced distribution between married and single related to own-source revenue. Additionally, the small
individuals. With 49.3% of respondents identifying as percentages of respondents identifying as "Widowed"
"Married" and 48.8% as "Single," the study captures insights (1.2%) or "Separated" (0.7%) indicate a smaller proportion
from individuals with varying family responsibilities and of individuals who may face unique economic and social
commitments. This distribution suggests that the study is circumstances that could influence their perspectives on
representative of individuals from different marital statuses, revenue policies.
Employment Status of Respondents significant, as they often form a substantial portion of the
The distribution of respondents across various county's population and contribute to economic activities
employment statuses reveals a diverse range of occupational that could be affected by revenue policies. Moreover, the
backgrounds. Notably, the largest proportion of respondents varying employment statuses could influence how
engaged in the "Informal/Juakali Sector" (33.7%), followed respondents perceive the impact of the national policy on
by "Farming" (21.2%) and "Salaried but on Contract" enhancing county governments' own-source revenue, based
(20.9%). This diverse distribution indicates that the study on their economic stability and livelihood sources. This
captured insights from individuals with varying economic diversified perspective enriches the study's ability to provide
backgrounds and employment arrangements. The inclusion nuanced insights into the broader socioeconomic
of informal sector workers and farmers is particularly implications of revenue policies.
Level of Education of Respondents that the study captures insights from individuals with
The distribution of respondents' level of education varying degrees of formal education. The inclusion of
demonstrates the educational diversity within the sample. respondents with college or university education is crucial,
Notably, "Primary completed" (29.3%) and "Secondary as they may offer more specialized perspectives on revenue
completed" (27.4%) were the most common educational policies and their impact. The educational diversity
levels, followed by "College/university completed" (17.2%). presented in this table enhances the comprehensiveness of
This distribution signifies a relatively broad range of the study's analysis, enabling a multi-dimensional
educational backgrounds, reflecting the diverse educational exploration of the relationship between education levels and
landscape in Busia County. The higher prevalence of perceptions of the implementation of the national policy on
individuals with primary and secondary education suggests enhancing county governments' own-source revenue.
Table 1 presents a breakdown of respondents' within specific sub-sectors, fostering innovation and
designations by different agricultural sub-sectors, offering competition while catering to localized needs.
insights into the alignment of roles with various agricultural
domains. Within the context of the theory of fiscal Variations in Awareness of General Policies or
decentralization, which emphasizes the adaptability of Legislations and Designation
public services to local circumstances, the distribution of The summary cross tab 2 below, shows that a
respondents across sub-sectors becomes crucial. Notably, a significant portion of 171(39.8%) participants were aware of
substantial portion of Tax Payers - Non-Transit (65.1%) are policies or legislations that regulate the collection of
engaged in the Plant sub-sector, aligning with the theory's agricultural products, while 259 (60.2%) participants are not
assumption of mobile households seeking out jurisdictions aware. All 106(24.7%) Revenue collection enforcement
that provide services suited to their preferences. This officers were aware, all 8(1.9%) Revenue administration
suggests that the Plant sub-sector may hold a significant role were aware. On the other hand, only 5(1.2%) of revenue
in contributing to revenue and fostering economic activity, collection enforcement officers were not aware, 254(59.1%)
underpinning the rationale for its focus. Tax payers non transit were not aware. Awareness levels
vary among participants, with a notable number being aware
Additionally, the relatively low engagement of of such policies. However, a considerable number of
respondents in the Livestock, Aquaculture, and General participants are not aware of these policies. These findings
Sales/Transport sub-sectors indicates areas where there pose two key implications for Cess policy in Busia County:
might be untapped potential for revenue collection and sstrengthening communication and training initiatives can
economic growth. Since fiscal decentralization encourages increase awareness of policies related to agricultural product
competition among decentralized levels of government, collection and administration, and ttargeted awareness
there's an opportunity for Busia County to harness the campaigns can help bridge the gap in awareness among
potential of these sub-sectors by promoting policies that different groups. This study examined if the respondents
stimulate their development and align with local were aware of any policies or legislation that regulate the
preferences. In line with the theory's emphasis on efficient collection of agricultural products. It was found out that a
service provision through decentralization, policymakers majority of 259(60.2%) were not aware as a handful of
should consider tailored strategies to engage stakeholders 171(39.8%) were aware.
The cross-tabulation provided above examines the Variations in Levels of Awareness of the National OSR
awareness of policies among different participant categories, Enhancement Policy by Designation of Respondents
aligning with the theory of fiscal decentralization's The table 3 illustrates the variations in awareness of the
assumption of competition and efficient service provision National Cess Policy among different designations of
through informed decision-making. It's evident that a respondents. The data reveals interesting insights into the
substantial proportion of Tax Payers - Non-Transit (59.1%) levels of awareness among various groups. Among Revenue
are not aware of policies, potentially limiting their capacity Collection Officers, none are aware of the National OSR
to make informed decisions or engage in processes that Policy, resulting in a 0% awareness rate within this
contribute to effective policy implementation. This contrasts category. Similarly, for Revenue Collection Enforcement
with Revenue Collection Officers (24.7%), Revenue Officers, the awareness rate is also 0%, indicating a lack of
Collection Enforcement Officers (2.3%), and Revenue knowledge about this policy aspect among these
Administrators (1.9%), who exhibit higher levels of professionals. Among Revenue Administrators, a minor
awareness, implying that these roles are more connected to level of awareness is evident, with 1.9% indicating that they
policy-related information, aligning with the theory's idea of are aware of the Policy. Although this percentage is low, it
decentralized decision-making. demonstrates that the Revenue Administrators have
familiarity with the policy, something which is expected
The theory's emphasis on adapting services to local being that they interact with the policy on a daily basis.
circumstances is reflected here, as awareness of policies is
essential for counties like Busia to effectively tailor policy Surprisingly, among Tax Payers - Transit, there is also
implementation to the specific needs and preferences of their a complete absence of awareness, suggesting a need for
constituents. The observed disparities in awareness highlight targeted efforts to disseminate information about the
a potential need for targeted training programs to ensure National Cess Policy among this particular group. In
equitable dissemination of policy information among all contrast, among Tax Payers - Non-Transit, the awareness
stakeholder groups. Such efforts could bridge the gap rate is notably higher, at 36.0%, indicating that a significant
between those who are informed and those who are not, portion of this designation is informed about the policy. For
fostering competition between counties through well- those who responded 'No' to participation in county
informed decision-making, and ultimately leading to the development processes, the awareness rates show variations
more efficient and locally-responsive provision of public across different designations. Among Revenue Collection
services. Incorporating the theory's assumptions of Officers, 24.7% are aware of the National OSR Policy,
experimentation and innovation, informed stakeholders are while only 3.5% of Revenue Collection Enforcement
more likely to engage in policy discussions, propose Officers and 1.9% of Revenue Administrators are aware.
innovative solutions, and experiment with new approaches, Among Tax Payers - Transit, the awareness rate is 4.9%,
thereby contributing to a valuable "laboratory for fiscal whereas among Tax Payers - Non-Transit, a substantial
experiments." However, the findings indicate that a 59.1% demonstrate awareness of the policy. These findings
significant portion of Tax Payers - Non-Transit lacks this highlight the critical importance of targeted communication
awareness. Policymakers should consider targeted strategies to enhance awareness and understanding of the
awareness campaigns to ensure all stakeholders are National OSR Policy, particularly among Revenue
informed, creating an environment where diverse Collection Officers, Revenue Collection Enforcement
perspectives can contribute to more effective policy Officers, and Tax Payers - Transit, where awareness levels
implementation, thus aligning with the theory's principles of are considerably low. Improving awareness can contribute to
fiscal decentralization. more effective policy implementation, better collaboration,
and increased revenue generation, aligning with the
principles of fiscal decentralization that emphasize localized
adaptability and responsiveness to community needs and
preferences.
Awareness of the Busia County Cess Act by Among the tax payers on transit, none of the
Respondents’ Designation respondents’ report awareness of the Busia County Cess
This table presents a comprehensive overview of the Act, whereas 4.9% are aware of the National OSR Policy.
awareness levels among respondents from various This discrepancy emphasizes the need to address the lack of
designations regarding the Busia County Cess Act. The data awareness about local policies within this category,
sheds light on the extent to which different groups within the especially given their apparent familiarity with broader
study population are informed about this specific county- national policies. Among the taxpayers’ non-transit,
level policy. Among the revenue collection officers, 22.6% respondents also display a lack of awareness of the Busia
demonstrate awareness of the Busia County Cess Act, County Cess Act, with 65.1% being unaware of both
suggesting that a significant proportion of those responsible national OSR Policy of the county-specific policy. This
for revenue collection are knowledgeable about this local substantial difference highlights the challenge of ensuring
policy. However, a notable portion of this group (24.2%) is that stakeholders are informed about both national and local
not aware of the policy, underscoring the need for focused policies, particularly among groups that might be more
efforts to bridge the awareness gap. For the revenue familiar with broader policy discussions.
collection enforcement officers, 3.5% are aware of the Busia
County Cess Act, while the remaining individuals in this In total, 10.9% of the respondents across all
category do not possess knowledge of this policy. The designations demonstrate awareness of the Busia County
relatively low level of awareness among this designation Cess Act, while a substantial majority (89.1%) lack
highlights a potential gap in information dissemination or knowledge of this policy. The findings underscore the
training efforts, requiring targeted interventions to enhance importance of tailored communication strategies, especially
their understanding of county-specific policies. However, all targeting Revenue Collection Enforcement Officers,
the revenue administrators show full awareness of the Busia Revenue Administrators, Tax Payers - Transit, and Tax
County Cess Act, with all of them (1.9%) indicating Payers - Non-Transit, to ensure that county-specific policies
familiarity with the policy. The presence of awareness are well understood and effectively communicated across all
within this group is noteworthy, suggesting that there might relevant stakeholders.
be opportunities in effectively communicating county-level
policies to key administrative personnel.
Involvement in General County Development Processes participants (36.0%) confirmed their engagement. The cross-
The findings regarding participants' engagement in tabulated analysis, presented in Summary Cross Tab 15,
county development processes reveal a significant contrast sheds further light on this distribution across different
in involvement. Out of the total 430 participants, 275 participant categories.
individuals (64.0%) acknowledged that they have not taken
part in any county development activities, while 155
In our discussions with revenue administrators and Aligned with the theory's principle of fostering
revenue enforcement officers, it has become evident that the competition and promoting efficient service provision, it is
theory of fiscal decentralization underscores the importance imperative to address the prevailing disparity in access to
of local governments' capacity to tailor public services information and training related to agricultural policies. To
according to the unique preferences and local conditions. fully realize the potential benefits of fiscal decentralization,
However, our findings reveal a noteworthy discrepancy in concerted efforts must be directed towards ensuring that all
the awareness levels of county policies, particularly those stakeholders have an equal opportunity to comprehend and
pertaining to agricultural processes. This disparity in contribute to policy development. Our findings underscore
awareness has the potential to impede the effective the necessity for policymakers to initiate targeted training
adaptation of policies at the local level. As emphasized by initiatives. These programs would not only facilitate
the theory, this adaptability is crucial for the efficient comprehensive understanding but also empower all relevant
delivery of services that cater to the specific needs of actors, including revenue administrators and enforcement
communities, in this case the tax-payers. officers, to actively participate in local policy adaptation and
innovative strategies.
REFERENCES