Gantsi council budget cut by 16 percent
Leinanyana Tsiane | Friday March 14, 2014 16:35
The council chairman, Douglas Tlharese told councillors during a meeting that the budget was cut by the government from the proposed P197.2 million to P165 million.
However, the total figure comes to P172.8 million because of the P7.5 million from council revenue.
“Our collection of income only constitute 15% of the total budget which is way too little,” Tlharese said during a council meeting this week.
He said budget preparation was not very easy looking at the expanding population and limited funds.
He added that from the approved budget of P165 million, the council was ordered to reserve P20.3 million for maintenance but this is not possible because they did not get the money they wanted. Therefore, they only managed to set aside P10.4 million for maintenance.
About P77 million from the GDC budget is meant for salaries, wages, allowances and terminal benefits. Tlharese said the rest of the money will be used to run the council. He said the restocking exercise in the district has been disrupted by torrential rains. The exercise has hit a snag as farmers cannot round up their cattle that are now drinking in ponds.
The heavy rains have caused the postponement of this year’s bolus ear-tagging campaign which could have commenced in early January. It will now start at the end of next month. Tlharese said previously, the bolus has been inserted into 3,061 cattle while 4,366 have been ear-tagged.
He said the reception classes programme has been introduced in four primary schools in Gantsi. These are EastHanahai, Kalkfontein, Karakubis and New Xanagas schools. He said more schools will be identified and included in the programme as soon as resources are available.
Tlharese stated that GDC has been given funds to start the backlog eradication programme in the district’s education system. He said the council will construct classrooms, toilets and teachers’accommodation during the financial year. In the backlog eradication programme, the GDC will construct nine teachers’ houses, 11 classroom blocks and seven toilet blocks at Boipelo, Kgaphamadi and New Xade.