Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
BUBI Rural District Council has introduced a road levy and is targeting to raise $400 000 by July for the rehabilitation and construction of roads in the area.

The local authority’s chief executive officer, Mr Partson Mlilo said the special levy was introduced after consultations with interested parties.

The tax will be pegged at $20 per household per year while companies’ contributions vary.

Mr Mlilo said companies pay 20 percent of their licence fees which also vary.

“The background of this is that our roads are in a very bad shape. Three quarters of Bubi was a commercial farming area and the roads were too few, used by white farmers who were travelling to their farms. But after land redistribution the roads have become insufficient. The roads have to be reconstructed,” he said.

Mr Mlilo said council was targeting to raise $400 000 by July to start the project in the following month.

“We’re looking forward to purchasing a bulldozer, excavator and 30 tonne truck as a starting point. With this equipment and what we already have we can construct a road. By the end of the year we expect to construct a new 60KM road, and constructing another new 100KM one next year,” said Mr Mlilo.

He said a tarred road will be constructed at Mahamba Business Centre, just as they have done with the road leading to Inyathi District Hospital.

Mr Mlilo said council already has an education levy.

“We have an education levy and we are charging every primary school child $1 per term while those in secondary school are charged $2 per term. The money raised is channelled towards construction of educational infrastructure. At the moment we’re constructing classroom blocks but as times go by we will be constructing teachers’ cottages,” he said.

Mr Mlilo said Bubi RDC also has projects on clinics and housing construction.

He said this year, council was targeting to unveil 200 residential stands in line with Government’s Zim-Asset blue print while plans are underway to construct one clinic per year.

— @nqotshili.

 

You Might Also Like

Comments