adminPatrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
GOKWE Town Council has proposed to maintain the current $3million budget for 2016.
Addressing residents and business people during the 2016 budget consultative meeting at Gokwe Centre yesterday, finance committee chairperson, Councillor Davison Taruvinga, said some of the charges would be reduced while some would be maintained.
Gokwe is dependent on the cotton industry which has over the years preformed dismally forcing residents and businesspeople to default.
Said Clr Taruvinga: “We’re proposing to maintain the current budget into next year. This year’s budget was $3million, so there won’t be any major changes in rates and water charges.
“We’re however, also proposing to reduce supplementary charges by 20 percent from $0.08 per square metre to $0,06 per square metre with effect from January 1 next year.
“We propose to reduce cession fees from $500 to $125 for widows/widowers, orphans and the physically challenged”.
Clr Taruvinga said the local authority was proposing to introduce a clinic building levy for the purposes of constructing a new clinic.
He said the new clinic would benefit residents in six wards.
“The residents and businesses will be levied a dollar for that purpose,” said Clr Taruvinga.
He said the town council was also proposing to construct a new school and a stadium in 2016.
Clr Taruvinga said the local authority was saddled with a $1million debt adding that residents and businesses owed the local authority over $1,3million.
He said if their debtors could settle the debt, the town council would be able to clear its $1million debt and use the remainder towards improving service delivery.
“Council has been operating in a very difficult economic environment which is characterised by high levels of defaulters, rampant and uncontrolled informal trading with little money circulating in the market. That has affected service delivery,” Clr Taruvinga said.
He said between January and September this year, the local authority only managed to collect about $917,000 against total expenditure of $982,000.
“Council could have performed better had all stakeholders paid up their dues.”
Clr Taruvinga said the council was proposing to undertake infrastructural development programmes which were expected to gobble over $700,000.
He said source of funding would be from their coffers and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration.
He said capital expenditure programmes earmarked for next year also include 10 staff houses ($50,000), gravelling of all roads ($55,000), storm drain rehabilitation ($24,000), two classroom blocks ($38,000), clinic phase 2 ($9,700), roads maintenance all wards ($250,000), cemetery upgrading ($21,000), community hall ($23,000), and dumpsite ($33,000).
Town secretary Melania Mandeya urged defaulters to settle their debts by December or risk facing legal action.
She said council had engaged friendly debt collectors (unemployed school leavers) who had been engaging residents and businesses but with little success.
Mandeya said their upcoming budget was pro-residents and thus should be supported by all who are pro development.
“We can do better; we can develop this town if we work together. We also have the support of the government and its arms,” she said.
Online Reporter