The Bulawayo City Council has cancelled the second phase of budget consultation meetings meant to collect on the local authority’s 2015 budget from residents and other stakeholders.
The aim of the consultation meetings is to set out implementation challenges for 2015, confirm priority areas for the year and agreeing on options for financing.
Budget consultations are usually contentious with residents demanding a budget that prioritises service delivery, though there is apathy with some reluctant to attend.
Stakeholders who were expected to attend the meetings include residents’ associations, informal traders, political parties and transport operators.
In a brief statement council’s acting clerk Sikhangele Zhou Friday, said the meetings which were meant to start today had been cancelled until further notice.
“The City of Bulawayo would like to advise residents, the business community community and stakeholders that the second phase of budget consultation meetings scheduled for Friday, 19thSeptember 2014 to 28th September 2014 have been postponed until further notice. We will advise in due course the new dates for the meetings,” said Zhou.
“Bulawayo City Council would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
This year the consultations have been held early to allow the local authority to present its draft budget for approval by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development in good time.
There has been an outcry where residents would not attend the consultations and later complain of high rates agreed upon by those few who attended.
Source: Radio Dialogue
