10 Aug 2020

The City of Francistown has approved a budget of over P257 million for the year 2021/2022.

Presenting the proposed budget during a special full council session last week,  its finance committee chairman, Mr Lesego Kwambala said the proposal was a combination  of own source income of more than P38 million and revenue support grant in excess of P219 million.

The proposed budget, according to the Itekeng Ward councillor, had been structured as personnel emoluments as well as running, establishment and special expenses.

He said the proposals were done in line with the council strategic initiatives in mind among them maintenance of existing council facilities, extension of outsourcing services and provision for waste management strategy.

Councillor Kwambala reminded his colleagues of the need to re-evaluate the council’s revenue collection and adopt belt tightening measures in its budget execution.

He called on the council to identify and implement new revenue streams that also included robust marketing of its services. 

City mayor Mr Godisang Radisigo said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development was currently reviewing its strategic plan with a view to incorporate current issues such as COVID-19.

Mr Radisigo said it was important that the budget made provisions for such as transition into the 4th industrial revolution, Botswana’s transformation agenda as well as the anticipated adoption and implementation of the decentralization policy.

He said it was paramount that as deliberations on proposed budget ensued, councillors should keep in mind that government’s capacity to generate income had been grossly eroded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At local level, our revenue support grant is bound to be limited. In this regard we have to intensify revenue collection and recovery measures in order to be able to provide the required service,” he said.

The mayor therefore urged all and sundry to exercise prudent financial management, embrace technology to reduce inefficiencies and time taken to execute work and information flow.BOPA