Chronicle EditorHerald Reporter
HARARE City Council has bowed down to pressure from residents by presenting a budget that is considered to be sympathetic to their concerns. Council budgets have often been considered elitist, a concern which prompted most residents to boycott pre-budget consultations, which are viewed as a window-dressing measure.
While the city council was forced to postpone some scheduled budget consultation meetings, others were attended by as low as 20 residents. The city’s 2018 budget, if approved, will scrap fixed water charges, instead of lowering them since water supplies in most suburbs are erratic. Fixed charges are currently pegged at $9 and $4 for low-density and high-density respectively. Mr Hardlife Mudzingwa of the Community Water Alliance, a non-Governmental organisation, yesterday applauded council for addressing issues on water service delivery.
“The fall of fixed water charges and the fall of interest charges is welcome. Fixed water charges are meant to cater for infrastructure. The failure for decades to buy infrastructure meant that these charges were not necessary. The debt on public goods is public debt. The reasons behind interest for these is not justified,” he said.
Kombi operators, as represented by Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators, have for long been complaining about high rank disc and route authority fees and council has responded by slashing them by 20 percent. City of Harare also reduced rentals for Glen View and Mukuvisi business units from $79 to $55 per month, inclusive of tax. Industrial and commercial customers’ fixed water charges will be cut from the current $0,50 to $0,25.
Harare plans to eliminate interest charges on debts held by residents once they agree payment plans with the local authority. Presenting the budget at Town House on Wednesday, finance and development committee chairperson councillor Luckson Mukunguma said the city expected to generate $269,3 million, from which salaries and allowances will chew up $114,8 million. The remaining $154,5 million would go towards service delivery. Much of the revenues are expected from increased water sales and enforcement of property tax payments for domestic, industrial and commercial stands and buildings.
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