Emmaculate Mutonhori
CHIREDZI: The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has approved Chiredzi Rural District Council’s ZW $1 billion 2022 whose major highlights are improving water, sanitation a road network and housing especially at Chikombedzi, one of the RDC’s biggest business centre.
Chiredzi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ailes Baloyi confirmed the development and said he was happy with the budget approval saying it would enable them to plan in time.
“We are happy that our 2022 ZW$1billion budget was approved earlier, this is going to help us plan ahead as we look forward to improve water and sanitation, road network and housing development in areas like Chikombedzi,” said Baloyi.
Last week the local authority’s Finance Committee Chairperson, councillor Murau Munyengeri presented the approved 2022 budget pegged at ZW$1 353 749 518.00 at council’s boardroom.
Munyengeri indicated that the 2022 budget is payable in both currencies that is the US$ the local currency and have since pegged tarrifs in both currencies as allowed Statutory Instrument (SI) 185 of 2020.
“The budget is pegged at ZW$1 353 749 518.00. Almost half of the budget that is ZW$592 762 182, 10 is coming from our own revenue collection payable in any currency our stakeholders might feel comfortable to use and ZW$760 987 335, 90 is coming from government fiscal transfers,” said Munyengeri
The one billion budget for 2022 will be channeled towards key and strategic projects as spelt out in the National Development Strategy (NDS1) centered on the attaining an upper Middle-Income Economy by 2030.
In 2021, council’s budget was pegged at ZW$493 million with half of the budget being drawn from revenue collection and the other half from government grants.