eBusiness Weekly
Thupeyo Muleya
BEITBRIDGE – Beitbridge Municipality has increased its budget for 2019 to $8,4 million from $6,1 million this year with more resources set to be channelled towards service delivery and transformation of the town.
Finance director Mr Anymore Mbedzi told stakeholders here Wednesday that although the budget had been increased, most rates and tariffs will remain unchanged. He said after conducting a number of consultative meetings they had reviewed a few rates to maximize revenue inflows to standards of a municipality.
Mr Mbedzi said the budget had been drafted under the premise of the smart cities recommended Programme Based Budgeting (PBB).
“As we seek to accelerate development and improve on service delivery we have committed the bulk of the budget on capital expenditure. In addition to that we have pegged employee costs at $2,3 million, which form 30 percent of the line budget as per Government’s standards,” he said.
“Most rates and services will remain unchanged except for a few including bonded warehouses, bakeries, hard-wares, supermarket, mobile telephone substations, TelOne, casinos, fruit achiness, fast foods, money transfer agents and banks among others.
“We anticipate to collect $8,477,052 and spend a total of $8, 420,072. Our budget surplus is set at $56,980. Further to that, $1,973, 847 will go to governance and administration issues, $2,9
million has been allocated to water and sanitation issues, $2 million (social services), $850 000 (roads) and $663 138 on public safety and security.”
Mr Mbedzi said they had lined up a number infrastructure development projects related to the town’s transformation. Some of the initiatives include the construction of a new primary school, stands servicing, new Dulivhadzimo bus terminus, setting up of modern flea market stalls, upgrading Dulivhadzimo stadium, public lighting, upgrading sewer and water reticulation facilities, construction of a science laboratory at Vhembe High School, roads surfacing, formulating a Local Development Plan (LDP) and streets and suburbs renaming among others.
“You will note that we were this year upgraded into a municipality.
his comes with a huge responsibility and we are working on some
projects to fit into that frame work. One of the important issues is the construction of a new primary school to cater for our ever growing population,” he said.
“The town has been growing rapidly in the last decade, hence we must respond through the provision of quality services and modest amenities. It is also important that we re-organise the town in line with modern urban development trends.”
Mr Mbedzi urged residents and other rate payers to service their bills, to ensure that the local authority remains viable. Beitbridge Municipality was recently named the best corporate governance: audited accounts at the just ended Local Government Investment Conference held in Bulawayo.
