30 Mar 2016

Continued reluctance by communities to pay for government services continues to impact Chobe District council’s efforts of  generating its own income.

Speaking at the district’s full council meeting recently, council chairperson Mr Mwanota Kachana said of the expected P4.9 million ,from their sources in the current year, only half of that was collected standing at just over P2.5 million by January 2016.

“It is critical that I cite some of the income items that are performing badly and are directly linked to our communities continued reluctance to honour their debts to council; these include sanitation fees, SHHA service levy, rental of council premises by both private sector and government institutions,” he highlighted.

Mwanota further added that by the beginning of the current financial year, Chobe district council was owed P690, 068 cumulated from previous financial years. 

“The continued low rate of income generation and especially sluggishness in payment for services rendered by the communities has far reaching implications for the development of our district,” he added.

He therefore urged councillors to continuously appeal to their communities to pay their debts and for services rendered by government. “Our communities need to appreciate that they have direct impact in determining the development and future of our district,” he said.

Briefing the full council on this year’s budget, Mr Mwanota noted that this year’s approved budget of P68 million  represents a 17 per cent reduction from their proposed P86. 7 million. 

This, he said meant that council had to revisit its budget notes and align them to the new ceiling.

When adding the expected income from council`s own resources the final budget for 2016/17 year stands slightly over P74 million indicating that Chobe district council expects over P6 million from self-generated income sources. ENDS