By Lylie Happiness
ONGWEDIVA, 13 May 2022 – The Ongwediva Town Council has tabled a N$147.1 million budget for the 2022/2023 financial year.
Developmental projects such as land delivery, provision of electricity networks, construction of stormwater channels and the upgrading of infrastructure are among the projects that will enjoy priority during this financial year, Mayor Taarah Shalyefu said when presenting the budget at the town on Wednesday.
An amount of N$111.9 million will be shared for operational purposes, N$2 million for the sale of erven, and N$2.3 million goes to refunds of the Road Fund Administration, while the council’s own reserves get N$30.9 million.
This budget, he said, was still subject to approval by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
There will be no government subsidy allocation to the council during the period, and council tariffs will not be increased for the current financial year.
The mayor also said the council reserves the right to increase the water tariff, should Namwater announce an increase in bulk water purchases, to avoid a scenario where the council will be distributing water to its consumers at a loss. This, he said, would be detrimental to the sustainable development of the town.
The council will efficiently and effectively implement its projected plans, operational expenditure and developmental projects while taking into account the protracted reality of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that has negatively impacted the council’s socio-economic operations, in general, Shalyefu said. – Namibia Daily News
