Chitungwiza proposes $28m budget for 2018 . . . municipality mulls water tariff hike

CHITUNGWIZA Municipality’s 2018 budget projection has been slightly increased owing to a rise in the number of residential and commercial properties, The Herald can reveal.

The local authority’s budget proposal was pegged at $26,7 million, but is now $28,3 million.

Council’s acting finance manager Mr Robert Nyikadzino said the increase on the proposed budget would have no effect on tariffs.

“We have increased our 2018 budget projections to $28,3 million from this year’s proposal of $26,7 million due to a rise on the number of properties in the town,” said Mr Nyikadzino.

“It should be noted that the increase on the budget proposal is not going to affect residents in any way, but it was due to an increase in properties. In our 2017 budget, income estimates on rates or supplementary charges was at $15,5 million and for 2018 it will be $17,3 million.

“These estimates will include fees and penalties, sales, rent, among other things to bring a total of $28 314 778, while our expenditure is estimated at $36 626.”

Mr Nyikadzino said they have put in place new projects like the Performance CHITUNGWIZA Municipality will increase water tariffs if the proposal by the Harare City Council ( HCC) to hike rates from 25c to 75c next year is approved, an official has said.

In its 2018 budget, HCC proposed to increase water charges for high- density suburbs to 75 cents from the current 25 cents for 1-10 cubic metres.

Currently, Chitungwiza owes HCC over $8 million for water supplied to the dormitory town.

Acting Town Clerk Mrs Charity Maunga told The Herald that Harare’s tariff hike would have a direct impact on residents.

“We intend to review our water tar-

Improvement Plan (PIP).

“These activities include carrying out municipal water status survey, replacement of 4 500 non-functional and malfunctioning domestic and commercial water meters at a cost of $370 000. On this part it is coming from the budget while the remaining portion will be covered iffs in the event that Harare City Council’s proposal sails through,” said Mrs Maunga.

“We do not have our own water source, we get it from Harare.

“Whatever tariffs are approved for Harare also affect Chitungwiza and obviously if those increments are approved, we will also have to increase ours here.

“In our 2018 budget, we put a provision that if there is going to be an increase in Harare, we will also do the same so that we are able to cover the difference.

“This is as a result of us not having to find other means of paying that difference, except from the residents and we want to say that there may be an

by Zimfund Phase 2.

“We are also repairing at least 600 water meters internally at the cost of $1 200, procuring 4 500 pre-paid water meters, which is being funded by Zimfund Phase 2. We expect to procure 1 500 water meters valued at $22 000 to replace non-functional ones and 5 000 pre-paid increase, if at all the tariff increases in Harare are approved.”

Mrs Maunga encouraged residents to pay their current tariffs because if there is an increase in 2018, it will have a direct impact on them.

“You would rather clear your bills now than waiting for an increment which might come in 2018.

“At the moment, we owe Harare $7,2 million as at June and we entered into a deed of settlement where we are paying a daily fee of $7 000 from our water account.

“We gave our bank a stop order instruction in which they will be an automatic deduction from our water account to pay City of Harare on a dayto- day basis,” she said.

water meters to be installed in Zengeza costing $73 000.”

However, Mr Nyikadzino admitted that this year’s budget was chaotic.

“In terms of the 2017 budget performance, it was not satisfactory where we were around 27 percent as collection efficiency.”