WATER tariffs are expected to increase by 5.5 percent while the sanitation tariffs are expected to increase by five percent.
Ugu mayor, Ntombifikile Gumede revealed this when she presented Ugu District Municipality’s draft budget at a council meeting held at the Hibiscus Coast Municipality council chambers last Thursday.
The draft budget, which will be taken to communities for the IDP and budget roadshows 2014/2015, is R1 009 317 119-billion, made up of a capital budget of R290 856 128 and an operational budget of R718 460 991. This budget is expected to cater for water and sanitation services, tourism, relief for the poor and special programmes.
A bulk of the budget has been set aside in the form of a municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) of R245 189 000-million. An amount of R36 693 849-million from equitable share will ensure continuation of free basic water provision via communal standpipes. An amount of R86 798 879-million has been made available for water tariff subsidisation.
Indigent water supply has been allocated at R22 273 650. “The municipality will provide 6kl of water to deserving and qualifying households whose total gross monthly income of all members does not exceed two old age pension grants,” concluded the mayor.
