Council approved the draft budget and IDP on 27 March. Residents from all 13 wards in the Greater Oudtshoorn were told during the meeting that council has approved a budget of R50,9-million in its draft capital expenditure.
Just more than R37-million will be allocated to infrastructure assets of the capital expenditure, while R12,5-million goes to community assets and the remaining R1,05-million will be set aside for other assets and equipment.
A large portion of the capital budget, R47,4-million comes from government grants and subsidies and R2,5-million is a rollover from the previous loan made by the municipality while R1,05-million comes from municipal coffers.
Projects budgeted for in the 2013/14 financial year include the following:
- Blossoms Pipeline project - R18m
- Rehabilitation of streets - R 9,5m
- Paving of streets - R 2,2m
- Electrification of new housing project - R 6m
- Neighbourhood Development Programmes Grant (NDPG) - R 5m
- Upgrading of Bongolethu Sports Complex - R 1,5m
- Rehabilitation of Dysselsdorp Sports Ground - R 1,4m
- Rehabilitation of Blomnek Sports Ground - R 1,5m
- The following tariff adjustments were also approved:
- Property rates +6.5%
- Refuse removal +8.0%
- Sewerage +8.0%
- Water Units +8.0%
- Electricity +7%
The Operating budget
The operating revenue which includes Government grants is pegged at R484-million during the 2013/14 financial year with an operating expenditure of R451-million. This brings a surplus of R32-million. A big portion of the operating budget revenue of 53,4 per cent budget comes from the service charges followed with 27 per cent from Government grants.
The remainder of the revenue is divided between rental of facilities, property taxes, licences, fines, gain on disposal of PPE, interest earned investments, interest outstanding debtors and other income.
The council is now in a process of prioritising community inputs for the both the draft IDP and budget for the 2013/14 financial year for approval by council on 31 May 2013.
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