Joburg's got work to do after coalition accepts slightly lower tariff increase

04 June 2018 - 14:29 By Claudi Mailovich
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Herman Mashaba. File photo
In conversation with Herman Mashaba Herman Mashaba. File photo
Image: Simphiwe Nkwali

The City of Johannesburg still has not passed its budget‚ as the proposed increases to rates and tariffs put forward by the Economic Freedom Fighters on Monday must now be considered by council.

The budget will have to be reworked before going back to council‚ as the proposed increases will impact it. A new report on the proposed increases would also have to be tabled and accepted in the same meeting.

The EFF's Musa Novela said the EFF proposed that the increase in electricity should be decreased from 7.37% to 7.17%‚ while the proposed water tariff increase should be reduced from 14.2%t to 13.2%.

Mayor Herman Mashaba has indicated that the coalition has accepted the EFF's proposal.

The new proposed rates and tariffs and the reworked budget would still have to be voted on before it can be passed.

The city has until the end of June to pass its budget‚ when the municipal financial year comes to an end.

Mashaba said in an interview after a special council meeting on Monday that he would have a meeting with the budget steering committee to rework the numbers after the agreement. Mashaba said he did not think cost cuts would be necessary‚ and that they could look at reducing the city's surplus‚ as he did not want the reduced increases to impact on service delivery.

The EFF last week had rejected the proposed rates and tariffs increases made‚ which led to the budget not being adopted.

He said he expected the next special council meeting to take place by lastest next week Monday.


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