adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
GWANDA Municipality has so far managed to collect less than 20 percent of its targeted annual revenue in a development that is heavily impacting on its capacity to deliver services. The majority of residents have not been settling their bills, a trend the municipality foresees continuing until year end. Gwanda town treasurer Xolani Dube revealed this in a presentation on the general performance of the current $13,3 million budget during a 2015 budget consultative meeting held with the business community last week.
Between January and September, the municipality had targeted to collect $9,97 million but only managed to collect $1,85 million, resulting in a shortfall of more than $8,1million.
“We only managed to collect roughly 18 percent of what we had planned for and this trend is likely to continue throughout the year. The problem is that most of our people are not paying their bills,” Dube said.
He said the municipality had targeted to collect $1,35 million in water bills but only managed to generate $165,704.
For rates, the municipality generated $100,993 against a target of more than $183,111. In terms of house rentals, only $66,667 was collected against a target of $167,796 while $308,382 was collected from the sale of stands against the targeted $3,750,000.
Members of the business community said there was a need for the local authority to speed up its plans to introduce prepaid water meters so that residents pay for water before consumption.
City fathers contend that the long term solution to the town’s water woes is for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to hand over the administration of the treatment plant to the Gwanda municipality.
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