By Thomas Thale
THE Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will have R11-billion to spend over the next year, with R1-billion allocated to capital expenditure and R10-billion going towards operational expenditure.
Unveiling the Metro's budget for the 2005/2006 financial year on Thursday, 26 May, Executive Mayor Councillor Duma Nkosi said the budget sought to deal with a myriad challenges, including the maintenance and upgrading of aging infrastructure, extending electricity and sanitation services, reducing unaccounted for water loss, building more clinics and tackling the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Nkosi painted an optimistic outlook for the year, saying that the Metro would not have to borrow money from capital markets and expected to record a surplus of R2,8-million.
Tariff increases would be "limited to between 3 percent and 6 percent", he added.
The budget dovetailed with the Integrated Development Plan, which outlined the developmental priorities of the metro. It was a culmination of an extensive public participation process on which the metro had embarked.
That process, said Nkosi, elicited numerous responses from the business sector, ward committees and from ordinary members of the community. "The most important community needs that were identified were roads and storm water drainage, sport facilities, street and high-mast lighting, housing development, safety and security, clinics and traffic calming measures."
In response to these demands, the Metro had allocated R210-million for housing, R161-million for the construction and upgrading of roads, R101-million for poverty alleviation projects, R98-million to tackle pollution, R29-million for safety, R20-million for the construction and refurbishment of clinics, R17-million for facilities for the aged and R18-million for sports facilities.
Looking to the future, the mayor said the Metro was preparing itself for the introduction of a regional electricity distributor, or Red, which would take over the distribution of electricity from municipalities.
"Provision has been made in the budget to fund the cost associated with the investigations and ring-fencing exercises where necessary."
Nkosi was confident that the budget reflected "the wishes and aspirations that are contained in the Freedom Charter".
Source: Ekurhuleni.com
Presentation for Seminar
