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Harare City Council is today expected to begin its pre-budget consultations with stakeholders. Ratepayers and residents’ associations are among the major stakeholders expected to attend the crucial meeting, which the Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi said was also meant to educate stakeholders on the budget.
“We have a target to finish the budget consultations on November 30 and tomorrow (today’s) meeting is the first phase,” said Dr Mahachi.
After today’s meeting councillors would then go into their respective wards and gather residents’ recommendations.
“We are going to be putting up notices to alert residents on where to meet their councillors so that they can participate in this important process. After councillors have gathered residents’ views they will then come back to draft the budget,” Dr Mahachi said.
Council’s year ends on December 31 and the budget process is expected to tackle priorities in terms of how money is to be allocated next year.
Harare Residents’ Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said as part of next year’s plans, the billing system needed urgent redress.
“We are calling for the removal of fixed water charges to all suburbs that are 10 years old or more, a period which we believe is sufficient to have fully repaid any loan secured to lay water pipes.
“On water, council must create a separate water bill as was the situation previously where residents got a water bill administered by the Harare Water Department and a rates bill administered by City Treasury to improve efficiency,” he said.
Mr Shumba said there was need to reduce the staff compliment, and for the authority to expand its revenue base through proper billing.
“To enhance revenue generation, the City of Harare needs to reduce some of their rates payable by ratepayers to at least US$20 per residential property to ensure rates are more affordable,” said Mr Shumba.
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