Kgatleng District Council is financially strained as the approved budget is insufficient to carry out all planned activities.
According to Kgatleng District Council Chairman, Daniel Molokwe this has resulted in some votes being over spent before the end of the financial year and this has stalled implementation of some activities.
He said the Council will be conducting its budget review from end of September 2023 to identify funds from unspent votes. This exercise, he said involves forgoing some of the budgeted items to cater for the over spent votes and identifying funds for those critical activities which cannot be halted.
“As at 31st August, 2023, expenditure was P77,939,198.02 against the target expenditure of P70,762,818.42. This indicates an over expenditure of more than P7 million.
“Total revenue collected by 31st August 2023 is P2, 414,338.55, while the income target from own source is P3, 910,675,” Molokwe said.
When addressing a full Council meeting on Monday, he said the Council fell short of its income collection target by P1, 424, 05.48. He said anticipation is that execution of all government programmes, projects and activities planned for this financial year should be in full swing, as they have long received budget allocations.
The council chairman stated that cost saving and control measures should be implemented in order to avoid a deficit at the end of the year and there is need to strengthen collection strategies in order to raise enough income.
“It is important and necessary that at this period, the government procurement plan should have taken off and all projects awarded as most of the development budget has a one-year implementation period.
“It is my wish that the theme and main focus of this particular Full Council that comes just on the eve of the 57th year Botswana Independence Day Celebrations, should be "delivery of government services, challenges thereof and way forward.”
He called on councillors to appreciate the Mindset Change Campaign that different government departments have been carrying out in order to align the public service to current economic reforms meant not only to induce growth but to bring the country and its citizens at par with current global developments.
"We cannot attain a High Income country status while our thoughts and actions speak to the contrary," he said. He stated that ‘Are chencheng’ should be a priority to every citizen and this should reflect on the manner they address issues of service delivery, time management and customer service across the private sector, public sector, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Based Organisations and communities and those that lead them be it at church, social clubs and tribal authorities.
According to Kgatleng District Council Chairman, Daniel Molokwe this has resulted in some votes being over spent before the end of the financial year and this has stalled implementation of some activities.
He said the Council will be conducting its budget review from end of September 2023 to identify funds from unspent votes. This exercise, he said involves forgoing some of the budgeted items to cater for the over spent votes and identifying funds for those critical activities which cannot be halted.
“As at 31st August, 2023, expenditure was P77,939,198.02 against the target expenditure of P70,762,818.42. This indicates an over expenditure of more than P7 million.
“Total revenue collected by 31st August 2023 is P2, 414,338.55, while the income target from own source is P3, 910,675,” Molokwe said.
When addressing a full Council meeting on Monday, he said the Council fell short of its income collection target by P1, 424, 05.48. He said anticipation is that execution of all government programmes, projects and activities planned for this financial year should be in full swing, as they have long received budget allocations.
The council chairman stated that cost saving and control measures should be implemented in order to avoid a deficit at the end of the year and there is need to strengthen collection strategies in order to raise enough income.
“It is important and necessary that at this period, the government procurement plan should have taken off and all projects awarded as most of the development budget has a one-year implementation period.
“It is my wish that the theme and main focus of this particular Full Council that comes just on the eve of the 57th year Botswana Independence Day Celebrations, should be "delivery of government services, challenges thereof and way forward.”
He called on councillors to appreciate the Mindset Change Campaign that different government departments have been carrying out in order to align the public service to current economic reforms meant not only to induce growth but to bring the country and its citizens at par with current global developments.
"We cannot attain a High Income country status while our thoughts and actions speak to the contrary," he said. He stated that ‘Are chencheng’ should be a priority to every citizen and this should reflect on the manner they address issues of service delivery, time management and customer service across the private sector, public sector, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Based Organisations and communities and those that lead them be it at church, social clubs and tribal authorities.
