Residents urged to participate in budget consultation
THE ethekwini Municipality has urged Durban residents to participate in the budget public consultation process that begins this week.
While people are still coming to terms with the 1% VAT increase which has already seen a rise in costs of most household items, Durban residents should anticipate a rise in costs in municipal services.
This is according to the city’s approved 2018/19 financial year’s mid-term budget.
The ethekwini Municipality plans to increase its 2018/2019 budget to R45.8 billion, an increase of
R800 million from the previous financial year.
The mid-term draft budget was tabled last month at the city’s executive committee (Exco) and full council sessions. The budget is now going out for public comment.
The draft budget will be discussed at city roadshows as well as at meetings with businesses and will also be tabled at all wards and zones for public comment.
Deputy city manager for finance Krish Kumar said these consultations and presentations formed an important part of the budget process as all comments would be considered before finalising and adopting.
He said the budget formed part of an overall planning framework, including programmes and projects to achieve the city’s strategic objectives.
While Durban ratepayers can anticipate a hike in tariffs, the city has decided not to implement Eskom’s electricity tariff increase of 7.32%, opting instead for a 6.84%.
Kumar said this was a result of umgeni Water reviewing their tariff increase.
Refuse removal tariff increase is proposed at 9.9%, sanitation at 9.9% and general rates an average of 6.9%.
“There are several factors that we considered which contributed to the increase in levels of rates and service charges,” said Kumar.
This includes the cost of bulk purchases, social packages to indigent residents, as well as provision for filling of critical vacancies and municipal salary increases effective from July 1.
Kumar said the city also planned to create jobs for 1389 plumbing contractors on a rotational basis to undertake water-related services.
He said there were 1 500 caretakers employed at ablution facilities with a further 50 to be employed this year, while 366 community-based contractors were employing 1770 people for refuse removal services.
“There are also 13 graduate engineers employed under the water mentorship programme while 753 people are employed by Durban Solid Waste utilising the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) grant,” he added.
The medically boarded would be exempt from paying rates on the first R460 000 of their property value.
He said residential properties valued up to R230 000 would be exempt from paying rates. All other properties valued above R230 000, the first R120 000 of rates would be charged.
But pensioners, childheaded households, disability grantees and the medically boarded would be exempt from paying rates on the first R460 000 of their property value.