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Know about your city budget
Harare Residents Trust (HRT)
October 01, 2010

What is A Budget to You?

This is a process of allocating funds into different categories e.g. health, education and administration based on policies.

Who Makes the City Budget?

The budget is made by the combined efforts of all Stakeholders, led by City Heads of Departments and Councillors.

How City Budget is formulated?

• City Departments come up with their budget priorities and bids.
• Councillors hold ward consultative meetings, discussing the departmental bids and allocations as a formality.
• A consolidated budget is then submitted to the Finance Committee of Council for debate.
• The Finance Committee Chairperson then tables before a full council the proposed budget that all Councillors debate before they adopt it. Once adopted, the Proposed Budget is available for inspection at Town House and all District Offices by the residents
• The City Treasury then advertises the Proposed Budget in two issues of a local circulating newspaper calling on residents to make comments or raise objections to the budget.
  How to Raise Objections?
• Write what you object about the budget, indicate your address and submit the letter to the Town Clerk at Town House within the allocated time of 30 days from the day the first advertisement in the Media.
• In terms of Section 219 (3) (a) of the Urban Councils' Act (Chapter 29:15), if a statement has been advertised, and objections are raised by more than thirty (30) voters or users of the services to which the tariff, charge or deposit relates; or (b) where there are less than thirty such users of the service concerned, by not less than fifty per centum of the number of such users;
• Such tariffs, charges of deposits shall be reconsidered by the council, together with the objections so lodged, and they shall not come into operation unless the resolution is again passed by a majority of the total membership of the council:
• Provided that the council may in these circumstances, by such resolution, fix lower tariffs, charges or deposits than those objected to without further advertising.
• The Minister approves the Proposed Budget before it is implemented by a Council.

What to Do on the Budget?

• Be involved in the budget formulation as an individual or as a community.
• Organise community stakeholders' meetings and discuss your budget priorities and issues for consideration in the 2011 City Budget Now!
• Make firm resolutions as Residents on Your Expectations in the 2011 City Budget and Discuss with your Councillor or City's Finance Committee.
• Your participation guarantees you reasonable and justified rates from City of Harare and more people are able to honour their financial obligations to Council.

Contact the HRT on 0912869 294/ 0912771860 or email us on hretrust@yahoo.com

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