Bulilima council approves $2,5m budget

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
THE Bulilima Rural District Council has approved a $2,5 million budget for 2017 with councillors calling for stiffer measures to be put in place to regulate activities of private cattle buyers.

Council chairperson Councillor Morgen Ndebele said they proposed that all cattle buyers have to acquire permits from the local authority before operating in the district.

“Private cattle buyers are expected to pay levies to the council but most of them bypass the local authority. We have tried to engage them so they can buy cattle during public sales but without luck. Councillors have therefore suggested that all private buyers have to acquire a permit first before they can buy. This permit will ensure that they go through council offices and pay levies. A buyer who doesn’t have a permit shouldn’t be entertained by villagers, community leaders or police,” he said.

Clr Ndebele said the local authority will sensitise community members in all wards on the new development. Council has been losing a lot of revenue to illegal activities of private buyers. He said the local authority conducted budget consultations in all its 22 wards.

According to the budget, a total of $24 000 has been set aside to cater for health and education infrastructure, $76 600 will go towards financing a council farm project aimed at boosting revenue collection.

Council finance committee chairperson Councillor Tapson Hanyane said the local authority has also allocated significant resources towards the education sector to ensure that orphans get proper education and new schools are constructed to reduce distances travelled by children.

“The proposed 2017 estimate is a standstill budget. Provisions for the year 2017 stand at $2 578 136 while the 2016 budget was at $2 568 039. The difference has been necessitated by the decrease in the number of trading licences. However, rates will remain the same,” he said.

Clr Hanyane said the local authority would also introduce poultry projects at the council farm to help boost revenue collection.

The farm’s main activity is cattle ranching. He said by 31 August, the local authority had only collected $411 229 of the projected 2016 budget. Clr Hanyane said the council’s main debtors were unit tax payers, development levy and stand rentals.

He said resistance from rate payers remained high with some farmers owing council unit tax payments for the year 2013 and 2014. The new budget comes at a time when council owes creditors $755 195.