12 Feb 2013

Satellite South councillor, Mr Buti Billy has called upon civic leaders to cut some activities that the Francistown City Council had budgeted for.

Speaking at a special council meeting to review the proposed budget for the 2013/2014 financial year, he said given a constricted budget, funds should be used wisely on core provisions.

He noted that celebrations such as the mayor’s ball should not be catered for because the council did not have any achievements worth celebrating. “If we hold celebrations, it should be for achievement and not just fun,” he said.  

The councillor suggested that such funds should be diverted to other areas of priority, particularly maintenance of council properties.

He said the council was over spending on security companies whose personnel tended to idle with less work to do. He said the proposed P7 million or 10.9 per cent of the revenue grant budgeted for security was too much. The council received P123 508 720 revenue grant from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

He suggested that council the should not hire security guards in parks as it already had people employed to maintain them. 

When presenting the council budget, the finance committee chairperson, Cllr Raoboy Mpuang saidt the revenue grant they received from the ministry had been increased by P1 million. He said the increase was still not sufficient to fund all council projects.

Cllr Mpuang noted that the city’s roads required more attention as most of them had lived beyond their life span and needed to be repaired to be in better condition until funds could be secured for re-construction.   

He also mentioned that in this year’s budget, the council would not be able to acquire a new fleet of vehicles. However it would continue to use the current fleet, he said. ENDS