The city council has money to spend - mayor

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday December 9, 2010 00:00

The city mayor Veronica Lesole told the full council that their current expenditure stands at P214 million and that so far they have received P140 million from the ministry as revenue support grant up to the third quarter.

The mayor also reported that collection of rates earned the city council P27 million, while a further P15 million was raised from other revue streams she did not elaborate on.

Recently the city council entered into an agreement with FNB bank to enable plot owners to pay their outstanding rates through the bank, as opposed to the traditional method whereby people had to queue at the city council offices to pay the rates.

The mayor also said the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Culture has disbursed P5.2 million to the Gaborone City Council for the development of parks in Gaborone as well as some of the open spaces to create a environment for citizens, especially the youth, to take up income generating activities to sustain their livelihoods and alleviate the spate of unemployment.

Lesole says in an effort to improve revenue streams and service delivery to the people of Gaborone, the city council intends to partner with the private sector to develop properties using the city council plots all over the city, adding that a committee comprising councilors and staff has been set up to come up with income generating projects.

Lesole further said the city council is finalising the signing of memorandum of agreement with a Chinese city, Weihai, which will help in the construction of a market plaza for Gaborone City, intended for the small, medium and micro enterprises.