21 Oct 2018

Councils across the country have been challenged to strengthen their revenue collection efforts and introduce new sources of revenue to mitigate the effects of budget cuts. 

Giving a keynote address at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s open day in Francistown on October 18, the Assistant Minister, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said collection of debts is generally low across councils.

Mr Autlwetse further stated that at the beginning of this financial year, the total rates owed was over P585 million and only P54 million was collected. He therefore sounded the alarm that the next financial year 2019/20 would be a difficult one due to the budget deficit, which would seriously affect the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) share to local authorities and thus called on councils to collect the outstanding money to argument their grants. 

He also informed his audience that the ministry was undergoing a robust and comprehensive reform programme to enhance service delivery.

Mr Autlwetse said the reform programme, which was in sync with and a catalyst for National Development Plan 11 implementation, as well as Vision 2036, focused on good governance, economic development, as well as social development, among many.

On other issues, the assistant minister encouraged residents of Francistown and Batswana at large to register during the ongoing voter registration exercise for the 2019 general elections. 

He said it would be disheartening to have a government that had been voted in by only a few people.

In their welcome remarks, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Boipolelo Khumomatlhare explained that the main objective of the open day was to take the ministry’s services closer to the people. 

Mr Khumomatlhare said theirs was the people’s ministry, hence going by the motto ‘Batho pele’ literally meaning ‘people first’.

He said it was under the ministry that a lot of people got social services, social protection and basic infrastructure.

Ms Muzila explained that the ministry was a massive, unique and intricate one that oversees 16 subsidiary, semi-autonomous local authorities to ensure that services are brought closer to the people. 

The MP for Francistown East, Mr Buti Billy said the days Francistown hosted the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, was a great and welcome development in boosting the local economy. 

The ministry held a senior management forum on October 15, followed by a meeting of the minister with council chairpersons /mayors on October 16 and a community service day on October 17 before the open day. ENDS