Mangwe unveils $2,8m budget

Plumtree Correspondent
MANGWE Rural District Council has unveiled a $2,8 million budget for 2015 meant to help the local authority sustain new projects.

The 2015 budget marks an increase of $400, 000 compared to last year’s.

Presenting the budget statement recently during a full council meeting, finance chairperson Sindisiwe Sibanda said $1,3 million has been allocated towards the developing of roads, construction of schools and clinics within the district.

She said the local authority managed to collect $460,000 by September last year out of an expected yearly budget of $2,4 million.

Sibanda said despite the poor cash inflow, the local authority managed to deliver significant services to its community.

She said they managed to carry out periodic road maintenance of about 264 kilometres.

“A review of the Year 2014 has shown that council is still facing challenges in collecting unit tax from farmers and miners. These are our major sources of income. The problem is that there is almost no production in our mines and farms,” she said.

Sibanda said under the new budget, the local authority planned to construct water and sewerage systems and rehabilitate 333 kilometres of road.

In an interview, Mangwe Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer, Nketha Mangoye Dlamini, attributed an increase in the 2015 budget to additional projects lined up for the year.

He said the local authority had resolved to assist farmers and miners in identifying potential markets and investors.

Dlamini said the move would boost production levels and the ability of tax payers to pay their dues.

“Payment of unit tax is being incapacitated by poor production. We realised that instead of fruitlessly going after tax payers we have to help them by creating a conducive environment for them to operate,” he said.

The Mangwe RDC CEO said this strategy would also help the local authority in ensuring that all miners were carrying out formal activities. He said it would be a prerequisite for miners to regularise their activities in order to get machinery.

Dlamini said the local authority would approach the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises in a bid to secure equipment for miners. He said the council’s major source of income for the year would be anchored on livestock rearing projects.

“We are owed a lot in unpaid levies for the year 2013 and it will take us long to recover the money. By the time we recover our money, we will be facing the challenge of fresh debts from ratepayers for the new financial year and 2014,” he said and added that tariffs were not increased.