Bulilima council in financial stress

BULILIMA Rural District Council’s finances are in the red as the local authority has only managed to collect 14 percent of this year’s projected budget.

In a report that covers January to July, Bulilima RDC chief executive officer Mr John Brown Ncube said the local authority managed to collect $368 478 out of a projected yearly budget of $2,5 million.

Mr Ncube said the local authority was expected to have collected $1,5 million within that period.

He said the council was rendering service delivery with limited resources.

“By the end July we had managed to collect $368 478 and our target for the year is $2 578 137 which brings our percentage collection to 14,29 percent. We are way past half the year and we have only managed to collect less than a quarter of our yearly budget.

“These past months have been characterised by poor cash flows and this has affected our progress in completing projects in different wards,” he said.

Mr Ncube said as a result, the local authority has engaged councillors and traditional leaders to sensitise communities on the need to pay development levies.

He said the intervention from community leaders has, however, improved cash inflows from most wards.

Mr Ncube said some farmers still owed council unit taxes from 2014. He said efforts to engage the farmers were fruitless as they were reluctant to pay.

“Despite these financial challenges the council has managed to grade 73 kilometres of the PlumtreeMaitengwe Road in July only. We are trying to balance service provision as well as routine operations of the institution.

“Therefore there is a need to improve revenue generation in order to meet all expenses,” he said.

He said two schools namely Himago Secondary and Peace and Good Hope Primary School were expected to be commissioned by year end as construction works were almost done.

Mr Ncube said villagers were making efforts to mobilise resources for the completion of these projects and were getting assistance from various stakeholders.

Last year the local authority managed to collect 22 percent of the projected budget which was $2,1 million.