No money for new projects - Mayor

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday March 23, 2011 00:00

Lesole said inspite of that, the council would continue with ongoing projects whose expenditure stands at P217,597,554. The Mayor said the council has been allocated P86,600,000 for the completion of the Naledi Infrastructure Development Project that began in 2008 and is scheduled for completion in August 2011. 

'Otherwise, the other ongoing projects have no provision this coming year since their disbursements have since been made,' Lesole said, pointing out that this does not mean that council cannot take up new projects.  'The major setback is funding, ' she said. 'Therefore, as we deliberate during this session, let us expand our horizons and come up with any means that could rescue us from the current difficult circumstances.'  The Mayor revealed that since the beginning of the financial year, they have received P159 million as Revenue Support Grant from the Ministry of Local Government. She stated that the amount was augmented by rates revenue collections that stood at P42.4 million at the end of the last quarter. Lesole said revenue collection from other sources amounted to P23.5 million while the council's overall expenditure was P221,489,153.

She stated that the council approved a budget proposal of P235,290,340 during a special meeting in January 2011 and it is quite evident that the budget for the upcoming year is less than the current budget of P274 million.

'To this end, the council leadership is faced with an uphill battle to continue in the quest to deliver services despite the shoe string budget,' she said. She revealed that collection strategies that they have so far employed are slowly but surely beginning to bear fruit, especially with their partnership with FNBB.

'The response in terms of payments of property rates is promising as over P110,000 has so far been collected since the start of the initiative,' she said. 'I however still implore you to continue the sensitisation drive to promote more collection from the concerned property owners. This does not only apply to property rates but to other fees such as service levy and SHHA loans.'

The full council meeting is expected to end on Friday.