ELLEN MLAMBO
TWO NATIONS REPORTER

BEITBRIDGE-Municipality of Beitbridge (MOB) has collected 52 % of its mid-year budget.
The mid-year budget is ZWL$ 5.9 billion and the local authority collected ZWL$3 billion which translate to 52% collection efficiency.
The local authority’s budget performance was presented to stakeholders by the Finance Director Anymore Mbedzi at a budget review meeting held on Monday at a local lodge.
Members of the business community, residents and residents associations attended the budget review presentation.
Mbedzi said the mid-term review is for the period January 1, 2023-June 30, 2023.
The local authority’s annual budget is ZWL$ 11, 8 billion (US$13 million). Mbedzi said the municipality’s billing efficiency is 93%.
For the period which was under review, the local authority had a total billing of ZWL$5, 5 billion.
Mbedzi said some of the issues affecting collection are inflation where some residents settle their debts when the money has lost value.
“Our tariffs are in US$ but we bill in ZWL$ using the prevailing auction rate on the date of billing. When clients come for payments, they use the prevailing rate on the day of payment and it will no longer be equivalent to the amount on the billing date. When the auction rate is moving upward it means our local currency is losing value,” said Mbedzi.
Beitbridge Urban Residents Association (BURA) chairperson Timothy Zendera said water bills are exorbitant and residents are failing to pay up in full their bills.
The amount collected is US$ 1, 9 million of the US$13 million budget, marking a 26% collection efficiency.