Development of a Web-GIS Framework for Billboard Management and Municipal Tax Administration in Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania.

Abstract

Municipal authorities in Tanzania still rely largely on manual systems to manage billboards and collect related taxes. This makes it difficult to keep accurate records, monitor billboard installations and reduce revenue losses. This study developed a Web-based Geographic Information System framework to support billboard management and municipal tax administration in Kinondoni Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The system was developed using the waterfall methodology which follows a step-by-step development process. Billboard locations and attribute data were collected using mobile data collection tools and stored in a PostgreSQL/PostGIS geodatabase. GeoServer was used to process and publish spatial data, Leaflet supported interactive web mapping and PHP was used for server-side functions, including billing and invoice generation. Functional testing was conducted in a localhost environment. Results showed that the prototype could store, retrieve, display and update billboard records. It also supported map interaction, spatial queries, inventory management and invoice generation. The system provides a central platform for managing billboard information and tax records. It may also be useful to companies that install and manage billboards to monitor locations, permits and maintenance needs. However, the prototype has not yet been tested in real municipal operations. Future studies should assess its usability, performance, revenue contribution and support for compliance monitoring.