BULAWAYO City Council has made water provision its top priority in the 2015 financial year with an estimated expenditure of $22 million provided against a projected income of $39 million. nqobile bhebhe Chief Reporter
Most of the income is generated from property tax. Council introduced property tax in 2012 and at the time it ranged from $2,64 to $43,37 per month.
However, the revenue expenditure for administration is pegged at $19,1 million.
Last week, the local authority unveiled its $158 million budget which has a revenue provision of $107 298 518 and capital budget of $50 797 712.
Residents overwhelmingly endorsed the local authority’s proposed 4% rate increase.
Council’s finance and economic development committee chairperson James Sithole listed water as top priority, followed by health, sewerage, housing, roads, education, public lighting, social services and fire and ambulances.
According to the breakdown, the water account comprises of conservation, administrative, delivery, purification and reticulation. “A revenue expenditure budget of $22,7 million is provided for the water account,” Sithole said.
“The income budget is $39,9 million. The surplus income in this account will be applied to rehabilitate water infrastructure and finance other important services such as personal health.”
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Recently, council made an application to the government to borrow over $13 million from financial institutions to finance a number of water and sewer works around the city.
The city has impending capital projects such as replacement of water and sewer lines, rehabilitation of roads and installation of street lighting, among others.
A total of $26,4 million was provided under the health allocation, Sithole said.
The budgeted income amounts to $4,4 million.
Sithole said $14 million would be set aside to cater for 19 council clinics and one hospital and $700 000 was earmarked for maintenance of West Park and Luveve cemeteries. The cemeteries are in a sorry state as most of the graves are covered by tall grass and some are either collapsing or breaking apart.
The graves appear neglected as some have even developed huge anthills which make it almost difficult to imagine that a grave exists there.
Council’s 29 primary schools and one secondary will have a slice of $4,8 million and funds are meant for procurement of textbooks and maintenance of classrooms.
Councils libraries, community halls and youth clubs — most of them in a dilapidated state — will be refurbished at a cost of $7 million, while operational and maintenance costs of bus termini and other council properties are pegged at $800 000.
In coming up with the allocations, Sithole said council took into consideration that it had not increased tariffs for the past two years, but fuel and other consumables had been increased.
