Africa-Press – Botswana. Chobe District Council has approved a total recurrent budget of over P106 million for the financial year 2024/2025.
Delivering the recurrent and development budget at a Special Full Council sitting in Kasane on Monday, Finance and Works Committee chairperson, Councillor Baboloki Mpebe stated that P97 702 470 was revenue support grant whereas P8 494 845 was estimated income from own sources.
He said this year’s recurrent budget had experienced a 16 per cent increase from last year’s due to annual incremental creep and a probable salary adjustment of five per cent. Moreover, he said the increase was as a result of terminal benefits of councillors and personal emoluments for the anticipated increase in number of councillors by two members in Chobe.
Councillor Mpebe said salaries, wages and allowances were budgeted at P66 365 380, members’ allowance at P3 782 310 and members’ terminal benefits at P4 293 440. With regards to development budget, the council approved over P30 million for the financial year 2024/25.
Councillor Mpebe said the funds were for implementation of important programmes such as destitute housing, Constituency Community Project and Ipelegeng Programme. In addition he stated that the district had been allocated funds for upgrading of some of customary courts to Type Grade Two inclusive of the carry over project of Kachikau Customary Court. The chairperson stressed the need to work together and ensure more efficient spending and financing of the council activities.
He pleaded with the community of Chobe to always pay for the services rendered to them by council adding that it was important for council to collect all the estimated revenue in order to augment the support grant.
“We should come together and strengthen the implementation of the existing revenue collection strategies and also put in place new measures that will assist us to increase revenue base,” said Mr Mpebe. These strategies, he said included review of some of the fees charged by the council such as advertising and market stall fees, to bring them close to the market rates.
Chobe District Council chairperson, Mr Chimney Mululwani implored the council to exercise financial prudence when implementing projects. He urged implementing departments to always guard against projects cost overruns and ensure that funds benefited local communities. He cautioned officers to be objective and accountable with the newly introduced local per diem and desist from creating unnecessary trips to claim it.
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