Know your asset base, local authorities told

MINISTER of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo has called on all local authorities to have an inventory of their assets to ensure that they collect enough revenue to develop their areas.

Speaking during a devolution conference at Bindura University of Science Education on Wednesday, Minister Moyo said all properties in the country should be taxed by local authorities.

“Local authorities are mandated to collect revenue from properties under their jurisdiction. They should know their asset base so that they can tax them accordingly.

“The revenue generated should be used to develop these areas. Taxation authority of local authorities is granted by the Constitution and they should effectively use this constitutional provision. The local authorities are also allowed to come up with by-laws which are enforced by the law enforcement agents,” he said.

Minister Moyo said Mashonaland Central Province has the capacity to be the best province in the country if all its natural and human resources are put to good use.

“Devolution must take place in financial terms. Local authorities must get funding from the Central Government for them to work properly. However, it should be noted that only three percent of the allocated money should be used for administration purposes. We will audit all money allocated to local authorities to ensure that it is put to good use. You should tell us how you will use the money,” he said.

Minister Moyo said development should be prioritised in marginalised areas.

“In Mashonaland Central, the least developed areas are found in Mbire, Rushinga and Muzarabani. These areas lag behind in terms of infrastructural development. More resources should be channelled there for them to catch up with other areas across the country. However, people from Harare should not come and dictate the pace on developmental needs of these areas. Locals should come up with recipes to take them out of their current situation. There should be a ranking of these marginalised areas so that resources will be channelled accordingly,” he said.

Minister Moyo said provincial councils were now being mandated to come up with their own staff members, while civil servants who would be seconded to them should ensure economic development of these areas. “Provincial councils should be prepared to deal with errant civil servants as they retard development. Gone are the days of centralised decision-making. Civil servants at district levels should effectively contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of their area of duty. We do not want all solutions to come from Harare. The moment you are seconded to a province or district, you should have total ownership of your actions there. We should do away with the them -and-us mentality. As Zimbabweans, we have a role to play in attaining the Vision 2030 upper middle income economy,” he said.