DEAR Editor,-
One of the functions of Ugu District Council Portfolio Committee on Finance is to sharpen public awareness of the municipal budget and to encourage informed debate on the budget.
In an admirable attempt to curtail unnecessary expenditure, the committee asked to be provided with some details of expenditure on travelling claims and overtime costs. Councillors are paid generous travelling allowances amounting to 25 percent of their total package. However, if they travel more than 500 km in a month they are entitled to claim extra travelling expenses. The same is true of top officials.
In the month of February, a senior member of the council’s executive committee was paid travelling claims of nearly R19 000, of which R3 700 was for attending ANC meetings. An official, who was described as an engineer, was paid over R10 000 in travelling claims.
Several hundred Ugu employees are paid overtime every month. Details of the top 20 overtime payments showed that no less than R83 000 was distributed to 20 people, with amounts of R9 000, R7 000 and R5 000 being recorded in individual cases.
One hopes that the closer monitoring of expenditure on these items by the finance committee will have the desired effect, although it is noted that the budget for 2015/2016 for overtime has risen from R15 million to R21 million.
CLLR DAVE SNASHALL
DA
