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Minister Kasukuwere

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
THE Government has approved Plumtree Town Council’s $5 million budget for this year.

In a letter addressed to the local authority in response to their budget proposal, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, urged Plumtree Council to make efforts towards increasing revenue collection this year.

“We wish to inform you that the Minister has approved your 2017 budget and the following observations have been made. There is a need to keep going especially on water revenue to show that decentralisation was the right thing to do.

“Ministry expects council to make greater efforts to increase its revenue collection or cut its employment costs. Council should either make income generating projects profitable or lease them out,” read the letter.

Presenting the 2017 budget late last year, Plumtree Town Council finance committee chairperson, Mr Cornelius Nyathi, said they had opted for a standstill budget because of the prevailing economic challenges.

“Council will maintain a standstill budget though we reduced licences by five percent across the board. A standstill budget was suggested after considering prevailing economic challenges. The budget has also taken into consideration the salary rationalisation as per the Ministerial directive,” said Mr Nyathi.

He said a number of projects that include provision of public lighting, drilling and equipping of boreholes, rehabilitation of water and sewer lines were lined up for this year.

Mr Nyathi said council was also going to complete Dingumuzi Clinic and rehabilitate roads through external funding. He said $1,5 million in the year’s $5 million budget had been allocated towards employment costs as per the order to rationalise salaries.

Mr Nyathi said council planned to scale up door to door revenue collection exercises to ensure that rate payers meet their obligations.

Speaking on the 2016 budget performance, Mr Nyathi said council only collected $2, 9 million out of a targeted $4, 9 million.

He attributed the poor revenue collection to prevailing economic challenges.

@DubeMatutu