Mazabuka council unveils K37bn 3-year budget

Mazabuka council unveils K37bn 3-year budget
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Mon 27 Dec. 2010, 04:00 CAT

MAZABUKA municipal council has unveiled a K37 billion budget to begin next year covering three years. Mayor Davis Katowa, who disclosed this during a full council meeting held in the Mazabuka council chamber, said the budget would be implemented under a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

Katowa explained that in next year's budget, the council estimated to spend K11.8 billion and would concentrate its expenditure on road rehabilitation, solid waste management system, capacity building, health education and inspection among other programmes.

He added that in 2012, the council would spend another K11 billion while in 2013, K13 billion would be utilised.

He also informed the meeting that the Ministry of Local and Government Housing had directed the local authority to adjust upward by 10 per cent salary and other conditions of service for council workers.

Katowa said in view of the directives to improve conditions of service for council workers, subsistence allowance for the town clerk had been increased from K350,000 to K500,000, directors and their deputies would now receive K450,000 from the previous K 320,000.

Lunch allowance for management staff has been increased from K100,000 to K150,000 for work performed outside the district while that of unionised workers has been pegged at K100,000 from K70,000.

Meanwhile, the local authority is expected to rehabilitate and maintain over 10 roads of economic development to the district next year at the cost of K698,452,004.

Enforcement and maintenance of law and order has been allocated K6.1 million. The budget for personal emoluments is K3.7 billion.

Katowa said the council estimates to spend K120,755,000 for capacity building and another K814,928,892 for solid waste management while health education and inspection will gobble K90,145,000.

He said the resources for the MTEF would be realised from local tax, national support, fees and charges.

He observed that under national support, the council would only receive a total of K1,565,383,686. Local tax will contribute K4,505,050,412 while K1, 508,067,420 and another K1,296,500,000 will be raised from charges.

Katowa said the budget, which had since been approved by a full council meeting, was a milestone for the local authority particularly that workers' conditions of service would be improved.