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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
MANGWE Rural District Council (RDC) has proposed a $2,2 million budget for 2017, a 44 percent cut from this year’s $3,2 million budget as a result of the prevailing economic hardships.
Presenting the budget statement during a full council meeting, Finance Committee member, Councillor Ngonidzashe Chemhuru, said the decrease was mainly due to a reduction in expenses and not tariffs.
“It is proposed that the council’s budget for the year 2017 go down from $3 251 164 to $2 256 315. This is after a realisation that the budget for previous years has been unattainable because of harsh economic conditions,” she said.
Cllr Chemhuru said the local authority had revised mining levies and school service charge fees.
“Due to the differences in scales of mining activities in the district, it is proposed that mining levies be re-classified. All miners are being charged a blanket fee of $200 per mine while all millers have a blanket fee of $1 000 per stamp mill where as in reality they operate on different scales.
“The council therefore proposes that small scale miners should pay $100 per mine, medium scale miners should pay $1 000 and medium scale miners should pay $500 per annum,” she said.
Cllr Chemhuru said the service charges that were being paid by council had also been revised from $30 per term for each school to 50 cents per child each term.
She said this fee will cater for services rendered by council to schools such as audits and assistance in building projects.
Clr Chemhuru said the council would also introduce a fee for drilling a borehole, replacement of a peg, peg search and re-inspection.
She said by August this year, the RDC had collected nine percent of its annual budget.
Clr Chemhuru said this made it difficult for the local authority to provide services and pay service providers.
She said debtors owed council $1,8 million while the local authority owed creditors $895 724. The bulk of the debtors were farmers.
“We’ve put in place several strategies to improve cash inflows. We will continue engaging traditional leaders for collection of development levies.
“Village heads in farm areas and farmers associations will be engaged on collection of unit tax. They will be given incentives by council to motivate them,’’ Cllr Chemhuru said.
The local authority has scheduled consultative meetings in all its 17 wards to get feedback on the proposed budget.
@DubeMatutu
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