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Kudzaishe Muhamba-Herald Reporter
Harare City Council yesterday unpacked a $41,8 billion budget with the local authority outlining its focus areas, which include water and sanitation, stabilisation of the city works and small to medium enterprise.
As directed by the Government, water and sanitation take the bulk of the stake, which was allocated $18,2 billion, administration $6,4 billion, social services $8,8 billion, roads rehabilitation $4,2 billion, public safety and security $3,8 billion, natural resources and conservation $144 million.
Speaking at the budget stakeholder meeting, acting town clerk, Mr Mabhena Moyo, said that the 2022 budget is inclined towards water, sanitation and hygiene issues.
“We are expecting funds from central government for other services such as roads rehabilitation, as the council from its own funds has no capacity to fund the roads.”
He applauded the Government for the disbursement of devolution funds.
“These funds will go a long way in reducing the burden on our citizens. We are happy and we expect a lot more which will be channelled towards service delivery.”
Presenting the budget, budget finance department accounts head, Mrs Takatadzeyi Musere, said the capital funding structure is high on council funds, which constitutes 55 percent and 45 percent from other sources.
“We are going to fund our capex with grants, own revenues, devolution funds, loans, private partnership and donations.”
Mrs Musere said that the traffic of water for 2022 will go down because of inter-governmental fiscal transfers that they are hoping to get from the Government.
“We are hoping that since a significant amount of money will come from the Government through inter-governmental fiscal transfers, this will help us to prop up the water sector as well as the sanitation sector.
“We also expect that with the intervention that we have proposed under our capital bought non-revenue water will be reduced from the current 62 percent to 58 percent,” she said.
She added that if the budget layout is implemented it will contribute to sustained service delivery.
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