Ninety-two Council Budgets Approved
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has approved ninety-two budgets for 2023 presented by local authorities, with four being rejected for various reasons.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, 10 January, Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo said the process of budget analysis and consequently approval was conducted from 3 to 10 January this year.
Budgets that were not approved were for Murewa Rural District Council, Karoi Town Council, Binga RDC and Lupane Town Board.
Moyo said Murewa RDC officials will now have to meet Local Government Permanent Secretary Zvinechimwe Churu, to relook into their budget.
A team has also been sent to Karoi Town Council to assist in the proper crafting and adoption of the budget by the council.
Binga RDC and Lupane Town Board have been asked to explain their budgets, which do not seem “achievable because of the level of tariffs”. Said Moyo:
All budget tariffs have been captured in both US$ and ZWL to allow councils to track the exchange rate movement in line with S1 185 of 2020 over the whole year.
Most councils proposed standstill budgets except for a few that have made increases.
Some of the increases were occasioned by a relook of the council’s revenue sources, which have expanded because of following the Rural District Councils Act, Urban Councils Act, or their by-laws.
Moyo added that all councils had been directed to produce by-laws by 31 January in order to support their budgets. | The Herald
