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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
GWANDA Municipality has proposed a $7,7 million 2018 budget, with tariffs remaining unchanged next year.
Next year’s budget represents an increase by $1, 1 million from this year’s $6,6 million budget.
Presenting the 2018 budget yesterday, the municipality’s finance and licensing committee chairperson, Councillor Johane Ncube, said the increase had been necessitated by capital projects.
“In our 2018 budget, the municipality intends to keep most of its charges constant. We have tried to craft a very realistic budget with projected income of $7, 7 million and expenditure of just above $7, 6 million,” he said.
“The major income items include fees, rentals and levies standing at $4, 6 million, rates and supplementary charges standing at $270 000, land sales valued at $675 000, water sales worth $1, 7 million, grants valued at $300 000 and rentals valued at $101 000.”
Cllr Ncube said some of the projects lined up for next year include rehabilitation of roads with $380 000 being allocated towards road rehabilitation activities while $100 000 has been set aside to buy equipment. He said other projects include construction of Hlalani Kuhle Primary School, a sports arena, rehabilitation of the town’s park, construction of new housing rental units and buying standby heavy generators for the pump stations.
Speaking on the performance of this year’s budget, Cllr Ncube said by the end of September they had managed to collect $3, 4 million out of a yearly projected budget of $6, 6 million. He said this means that the municipality had collected 52 percent of their annual budget and 68 percent of the projected budget for nine months.
He appealed to ratepayers to prioritise paying bills to enable council to offer quality services.
Cllr Ncube said debtors owe them $13 million while the municipality owes creditors $9, 8 million. He said the bulk of creditors included Zinwa, Zimra and other statutory bodies.
“The national economic and business environment has been characterised by very poor liquidity. This has negatively affected the municipality’s operations as residents have had very little cash to spend on municipal services. The structural works of our reservoir have been completed. Work has already begun in laying the three kilometre pipeline which shall deliver water to this new reservoir so that it can be tested and commissioned,” he said.
Cllr Ncube said the project would alleviate water challenges in low lying areas. He said the municipality had this year serviced 160 residential stands in a bid to ease accommodation challenges.
Speaking at the budget presentation, the Mayor Cllr Knowledge Ndlovu said the proposed budget now awaits Government’s approval after councillors adopted it.
@DubeMatutu
Bongani Ndlovu
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