Govt ropes in experts to assist councils
THE GOVERNMENT has roped in technical experts from the country’s tertiary institutions to assist local authorities formulate their 2024 budgets to meet parameters set by President Mnangagwa under the national blueprint on service delivery unveiled last month.
The plan, which seeks to accelerate modernisation of rural and urban centres, requires local authorities to prepare budgets that demonstrate how they intend to attain high levels of service delivery.
Among other things, the blueprint also directs councils to produce audited financial accounts, failure of which “the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works will not approve budgets of local authorities who are not compliant”.
To date, 70 local authorities have submitted their budgets to the ministry for approval, while 22 are yet to do so.
Director of communications and advocacy in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Mr Gabriel Masvora said all budgets should be approved by December 31.
“The deadline for local authorities to submit their budgets to the ministry for approval was November 15,” he said.
“As of that date, 70 out of 92 had managed to submit their budgets for approval.
“A rough check shows that most local authorities captured the issues in the blueprint for implementation . . .
“The minister has indicated that he wants to finish approving all budgets by December 31, in compliance with the Public Finance Management Act.”
This, he said, will ensure local authorities will commence appropriating funding from the budgets on January 1, 2024.
“This year, we have decentralised the process of checking local authorities’ budgets,” said Mr Masvora.
“We are working with Local Government experts at tertiary institutions, who will look at the budgets, and if they spot any issue that needs rectification, they will advise the local authority.
“Once that has been done, it will be sent to the ministry for approval.”
Last month, President Mnangagwa launched a blueprint titled “A call to action — no compromise to service delivery: first stage of interventions to modernise the operations of local authorities towards Vision 2030”, which seeks to ensure that local authorities prioritise service delivery in their plans.
Under the latest guidelines, budgets will not be approved unless they prioritise service delivery, revenue collection and distribution, financial reporting, correct management of estate accounts and demonstrate transparency in the leasing and selling of land by councils.
The President’s interventions come at a time when service delivery has deteriorated to unprecedented levels in urban areas, especially Harare, which has led to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Urban planning expert and University of Zimbabwe lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Real Estate Dr Nyasha Mutsindikwa said council budgets should focus on service delivery.
“The launch of the local authorities’ blueprint on service delivery by the President, Dr Mnangagwa, is a clear sign of the importance of service delivery,” he said.
“Service delivery affects the living standards of residents and, as such, the blueprint provides the basis for coming up with minimum expected standards and targets on key areas such as water, health, transportation, recreation and housing provision, among other services.
“The call for local authorities to collaborate with experts in higher learning institutions in planning and budgeting will also go a long way in terms of improving decision making and service delivery in rural and urban areas.
“There is room to review current approaches and practices in order to come up with new and innovative ways of doing things.”