Urgent need for responsible budgeting in local municipalities
To tax the already burdened and hard-pressed citizen is imprudent and should be avoided, says the writer.
Image: Independent Newspapers
MUNICIPALITIES are in the process of considering the Integrated Development Plan that incorporates the budget. These are statutory requirements.
Local authorities are governed by relevant provisions of the RSA Constitution as well as the Local Authorities Ordinance and the trilogy of local government statutes - systems, structures and finance management.
The budget is all about three things mainly-projected expenditure, projected income and the deficit. In the mix of the consideration are statutory consultations with the public and other role players. Regrettably, this has just become ticking the boxes with little or nothing of the many meaningful inputs being considered. This is just a crying shame.
It is a common bad practice for councils to simply increase the rates and various other tariffs in order to make up the deficit. This is a clarion call and a wake-up call to authorities to face reality and be prudent regarding this sensitive and important matter in the light of the adverse economic situation the country faces.
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Many people barely have basic food to put on the table and luxuries are out of the question. There are too many mamparas and nincompoops that hold political office and senior administrative positions and are oblivious of the plight of the teeming masses. They make decisions that concern people without due consideration to the reality of life.
To tax the already burdened and hard-pressed citizen, as well as businesses and industry that contribute hugely to the city coffers, is imprudent and should be avoided. It is a common fact that in municipalities there is much mismanagement, laxity and incompetence with the result that wasteful, frivolous, unnecessary and fruitless expenditure is incurred. The Auditor-General yearly confirms this but the malpractices continue to the detriment of citizens, property owners and businesses.
It is my fervent prayer that sense and reality will prevail in the various local authorities so that people and businesses can survive in these hard times and there will be a win-win situation for both the municipalities and its citizens and businesses.
SIMON T DEHAL
Verulam
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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