Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 24-05-2017
Finance MMC for Johannesburg Rabelani Dagada says the 2017/18 budget is dedicated to “Joburg’s forgotten people” emphasising it would be pro-poor, provide a business environment to spur growth, and fight corruption.
Dagada delivered the first budget speech in the city’s history on Tuesday under a coalition government allocating R55.9-billion in spending over the next year.
Billions have been allocated to City Power, Joburg Water, infrastructure health and transport.
Johannesburg residents are set to fork out more for electricity, water, sewerage and sanitation, waste removal, and property rates, as the City directs its attention to the forgotten people – the poor.
The budget is about 85% dependent on revenue raised by the city and, therefore, residents will be paying 6.2% more for property rates, 2.28% more for electricity and 12.2% more for water, sewerage and sanitation services.
However depending on household income, the poorest residents will receive between 10 and 15 kilolitres of free water per month.
Dagada says the previous administration had an opportunity to increase revenue collection by R5.3 billion per year.
“This is as a result of customers that are not being billed, many of whom are commercial customers. The previous administration failed to act on the recommendations of this report. However, we will act on them to ensure revenue collection.”
The budget speech began with interruptions from the EFF who claimed a 500,000 pay increase for the Mayor Herman Mashaba’s chief of staff, Michael Beaumont undermined Mashaba’s talk of fighting corruption.
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