Pretoria - Residents in Tshwane have been urged to participate in a month-long public participation process to afford them a chance to comment on the draft budget for the 2023/24 financial year and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
The public can voice their concerns about service delivery needs in their wards and the proposed tariff hikes, which come into effect on July 1.
Part of the draft budget entails a proposal for a huge tariff increment of 18% for electricity, an increase of 5% for water services and the bulk purchases tariff for Rand Water increased by 9.2%. In addition, the city proposed a 9.2% tariff increment for sanitation and property rates.
A call for residents to make inputs was made after the tabling of the proposed draft budget in council.
Mayor Cilliers Brink said: “As part of this process, we are required to engage robustly with communities through various public participation methods to ensure the voices and needs of our residents are fully considered in the IDP and budget for our City.”
Brink said the metro was tabling a total budget of R46.9 billion, consisting of an operating budget of R44.5bn and the capital infrastructure investment budget of R2.4 bn.
“The 2023/24 draft budget seeks to secure the financial sustainability of the city while also delivering core services within the financial limits of the city,” Brink said.
He added that the draft budget was tabled for inputs from residents and relevant stakeholders “and, when concluded, these inputs will shape the final IDP and budget to be approved by council in June 2023”.
“In formulating the draft IDP and budget, we have ensured alignment with our multiparty coalition government’s shared values of building a capital city that works for all its people,” he said.
Pretoria News