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Lawrence Chitumba Mash Central Correspondent

Acting provincial development coordinator for Mashonaland Central Province, Mr Cosmas Chiringa, has called on local authorities to do due diligence on their annual budgets to ensure that they positively impact on ratepayers’ lives.

He said all local authorities in the province had improved on revenue collection since January 2019 with revenue collected to date indicating that most of them are above 55 percent of their approved budgets.

Mr Chiringa commended local authorities like Guruve Rural District Council for collecting RTGS$365 936-74 against a budget of $280 411-50, while Mbire RDC collected $1 642 019 against a budget of $995 126.

Speaking during a meeting between local authorities and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Minister Monica Mavhunga in Bindura recently, Mr Chiringa said it was pleasing to note that most local authorities were up to date in terms of salary payments, save for Rushinga and Mbire which have one month salary arrears.

“Councils should shun from just throwing around figures that were achieved in the previous years. Councils chairpersons should make sure that the budgets are real and should also make sure they will impact positively on the lives of ratepayers,” he said.

“All local authorities have improved on revenue collection since January 2019. The revenue collected to date indicates that most of the local authorities are above 55 percent of their approved 2019 budgets. It is amazing for some local authorities like Guruve RDC to observe that they have already collected $365 936-74 against a budget of $280 411-50 and Mbire RDC with a cumulative collection of $ 1 642 019 against a budget of $995 126.

This is an indication that, either the local authorities are performing well or there is no proper budgeting being done.

“It is pleasing to note that Rushinga and Mbire RDCs are the only two local authorities with salary arrears for one month. The other local authorities are up to date.”

He said of concern was the local authorities’ compliance to the 30:70 employment costs to service delivery ratio, adding that service delivery is very crucial as this is an indicator to the residents that their monies are being put to good use as well as a motivator to rate payers as they feel encouraged to pay rates.