City Hall exploring digital app to track vendors, boost revenue collection

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown is in talks with an app developer as it moves to modernise its vending system through a new digital application.

During an extraordinary statutory meeting, Mayor Alfred Mentore disclosed that the council is examining the introduction of an app aimed at improving revenue collection and tracking vendor information.

“The app being looked into will absorb data about the vendors but more importantly it will log information… what we need to establish is how much money we making and it would also give us a number of other information so that as we choose to deal with a number of other matters going forward we will know what is going on within the system,” the mayor said.

For years, City Hall has struggled with accurately tracking revenue collection from vendors and businesses, with concerns often raised about inefficiencies in the manual collection system. The proposed digital platform is expected to provide the council with more reliable data while reducing dependence on cash transactions conducted on the streets.

It would digitally record information about vendors operating within the city while also helping authorities monitor payments and compliance. During the meeting, the Council discussed the possibility of this app and it was also acknowledged that the app is still in its planning phase.

Addressing questions about what the initiative could mean for seasonal vendors, Mentore said the goal is to create a more transparent and accountable system.

“What we are trying to achieve is the fact that a lot of these things or vending or how it’s done where our staff go and pick up things and give people receipts, with this app and this thing set up they wouldn’t be paying on the road,” he stated.

According to the mayor, the app would allow vendors to make payments electronically while enabling council officers to verify compliance digitally.

“You can scan that information and people ain’t got to come to pay cash, they will pay that internally but they will be scanned externally. It’s really something to dot the Is and cross the Ts,” he said.

Mentore acknowledged that there may still be some difficulties during implementation but maintained that the system would significantly improve oversight and accountability.

While the proposed app is expected to initially focus on vendors, officials see it as part of a broader push toward digitisation and better financial management within the municipality.