Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]
THE City of Bulawayo has received no public objections to its proposed US$13,1 million borrowing facility, clearing a key statutory requirement and giving fresh momentum to plans to secure funding for critical infrastructure and service delivery projects.
A report by the Finance and Development Committee said the statutory public notice period had expired without any written objections being lodged, allowing the local authority to proceed with the borrowing process in line with the Urban Councils Act and the Public Finance Act.
The proposed loan will finance capital projects covering water and sanitation infrastructure, road rehabilitation, ICT modernisation, equipment acquisition and renewable energy initiatives aimed at improving municipal service delivery.
According to the full council report, the Financial Director reported on 17 July that council, during its meeting on 3 June, had resolved to seek authority to borrow funds for capital development projects.
The public notice invited any persons or entities with objections to the proposed borrowing to submit them in writing to the office of the Town Clerk by 13 July.
The committee report confirmed that the statutory consultation process had been completed.
“The objections period had since lapsed and no written objections meeting the statutory requirements had been lodged within the prescribed time frame. The absence of objections during the statutory notice period confirmed that there was no public opposition to the proposed borrowing.”
The committee recommended that council proceed to the next stage of the borrowing process.
The clearance represents a significant procedural milestone for the local authority, which is seeking to bridge its infrastructure financing gap through external borrowing.
Council intends to use the US$13,1 million facility towards strategic capital investments, including US$3,03 million for ICT equipment and accessories, US$2,48 million for water infrastructure, US$2,05 million for sanitation infrastructure, US$2 million for road rehabilitation, US$2,65 million for equipment and vehicles, US$340 000 for building rehabilitation and US$600 000 for solar energy projects.
The city has previously indicated that despite a relatively stable operating environment characterised by subdued inflation and exchange rate stability, local authorities continue to face challenges in replacing ageing infrastructure and meeting growing service delivery demands due to inadequate funding.
