25 Jun 2013

It is very important to explore alternative sources of funding to ensure that Gaborone City Council (GCC) delivers effectively and efficiently, the Mayor of Gaborone City, councilor Haskins Nkaigwa, has said.

Councillor Nkaigwa said this when delivering a speech on the council’s financial position on June 24.

He said the approved budget for the year 2013/2014 was P253, 929,060.00.

The council’s expenditure currently stands at P52 087,166.00 of which 30 000 000.00 was spent on the terminal benefits of former Industrial Class (IC) employees who have since converted to the Permanent and Pensionable status, he said.

The council had to pay former IC employees because government wanted to normalize the status of all its employees, although it was not provided for financially.

As such the council had pay from GCC’s own coffers; however, he said a request for reimbursement from the mother ministry has been made.

The civic leader said they were in constant liaison with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to speed up the transaction so that their budget plan is not be derailed.

In addition, he briefed fellow councilors on the collection of rates and billing for 2012/13, saying billing was done in February 2013 after which mails were dispatched to plot holders during March and April 2013.

Billing for 2013/14 financial year he said was yet to be done.

Councillor Nkaigwa further highlighted that total rates arrears including billing for 2012/13 amounted to P105, 407,296, and by the end of March 2013, GCC had collected P48, 437,118, thus leaving an outstanding balance of P49, 897,191.

Since the beginning of 2013/14 financial year, the council has collected P11, 626, 947 and rates arrears currently stand at P38 270 243.

He noted that GCC was experiencing the challenge of some plot holders who continuously change their contact addresses and some change their plot ownership after which they fail to inform them and this contributes to returned bulk mail.

On GCC’s partnership with First National Bank and Barclays Bank  he said they are bearing fruit as GCC has collected P15 266 522 since the inception  of the partnerships.

The coucillor also said they have also been conducting house to house campaigns issuing demand letters and sensitizing the public about the importance of paying rates.

He further called on to the public to update their contact addresses. ENDS