Gweru adopts budget

News
Gweru City councillors adopted the proposed $36 million budget for 2014, a slight increase from this year’s $34 million, with rates and tariffs maintained at the current level

GWERU — Gweru City councillors on Friday adopted the proposed $36 million budget for 2014, a slight increase from this year’s $34 million, with rates and tariffs maintained at the current level after a two-week public debate.

STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT

The $36 168 154 budget will see salaries and allowances pegged at $13 767 018, which is 38% of the total expenditure, a drop from last year’s 40%.

Presenting the budget at a council meeting, the chairperson of the finance and development committee, Albert Chirau, said it was high time council lived within its means if objectives and goals of the budget were to be met.

Chirau said council’s hopes lie in capital projects as there was no optimism of accessing lines of credit.

“Last year, we got about $2 million as lines of credit to buy equipment. But as for next year’s budget there is little hope for lines of credit hence the need to pin our hopes on capital projects and twinning with other cities,” Chirau said.

He said there was need to ensure that debtors owned up and urged council to maintain a tough stance on service delivery and financial discipline.

Chirau said 2013 was difficult for council due to a liquidity crunch saying the collapse of industries in the city had worsened the situation.

“We had hoped that the revival of industries in the city would mean a boost to our coffers, but that hope proved nothing but an illusion,” he added.