Non-tax Revenue Generation: Community-Based Actors On Awareness Campaign

S ome 70 Community-Ba­ sed Assistants of the Office of the Public In­ dependent Conciliator (OPIC) for the North West Region and 35 field agents of the OPIC partner organizations Safety Nets and SEEPD are on the field in the 34 council areas of the North West Re­ gion within the framework of the campaign to improve non-tax revenue generation and financial probity in Re­ gional and Local Authorities. They received the training for the campaign during a three-day workshop organi­ sed by the OPIC in its Ba­ menda head office from Oc­ tober 8-10, 2026. The OPIC officially launched the campaign on September 25, 2026. The main focus is, “on how much councils collect from non-tax income, how transparently they mobilise resources, how the resources are accounted for, and whe­ ther citizens can see a connec­ tion between what they contribute and the develop­ ment taking place in their communities,” the Public In­ dependent Conciliator Tamfu Simon Fai specified during the workshop with commu­ nity-based actors. The cam­ paign is on the theme, “New sources, New strength: Gro­ wing council revenue beyond taxes.” Mr Tamfu Simon Fai told the community assistants who are volunteers and partners that, “You are our eyes and ears within the communities.” Their mission during the cam­ paign, he stressed, “You will not only help us take infor­ mation to citizens; you will help us to listen, explain, sen­ sitize, gather information, do­ cument concerns and provide feedback.” They will also have to facilitate the connection between citizens and relevant institutions. While on the field, Mr Tamfu Simon Fai warned, the community based actors will not become reve­ nue collectors, investigators acting outside the authority of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator, po­ litical actors nor agents of confrontati...