Masvingo residents hail council budget

RESIDENTS have hailed Masvingo City Council for appreciating their plight when it scaled down the 2018 proposed budget by more than US$1 million.

Masvingo City proposed a $26 million revenue budget for 2018 that will see rates and tariffs remaining at the current level. The 2017 budget is $27 million. Masvingo United Ratepayers and Residents Alliance spokesperson, Mr Godfrey Mutimba said council has listened to the “voice of reason” when reducing its budget.

“We are really happy with the move taken by our council for not increasing the budget. Council has taken into account the plight of residents whose disposable incomes have been heavily compromised by job losses.

“Residents are finding it difficult to pay rates due to the prevailing economic challenges,” Mr Mutimba said.

He said the new proposed budget will make life easier for a number of residents with outstanding debts.

“The new budget is a true reflection of the obtaining situation where residents are not spared by the obtaining liquidity crunch.

“It gives room to those residents who owe council huge sums of money in unpaid water bills to settle their debts, thus making the life easier,” he said.

Consumer Council of Zimbabwe provincial chairperson Mr Jowere Mukusha said Masvingo City Council applauded the city fathers for reducing the revenue budget from $27 million to $26 million.

“As residents, let us reciprocate through settling our debts.

This will help our local council meet its obligation of service delivery,” Mr Mukusha said.

Presenting the budget last week, finance committee chairperson Councillor Babylon Beta said all tariffs had been maintained at the current levels, with water pegged at 0.80 cents per unit.

Domestic consumers will also pay $1 bin collection fee per household.