CoJ Speaker Mthembu alarmed by residents' low engagement with proposed tariffs
The draft budget, which will come into effect on the first of June, includes several proposed tariff increases to rates, water, electricity and waste removal.
FILE: A City of Joburg council meeting. Picture: Alpha Ramushwana/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - City of Johannesburg Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu was shocked by the low engagement residents showed over the city’s proposed tariffs.
The City of Johannesburg recently concluded its public participation processes over the draft budget for the next financial year.
The draft budget, which will come into effect on 1 June, includes several proposed tariff increases to rates, water, electricity and waste removal.
Starting from 1 July, the City of Johannesburg is proposing to raise the price of electricity by 12.74%, water by 13.9%, waste removal by 6.6% and rates by 4.6%.
The proposed increases are likely going to make the cost of living more expensive for most, if not all, Johannesburg residents.
Despite that, Mthembu said there was little mention of rates during the public participation process.
"We say there is a disconnect between council business and residents because they don’t know about the things that affect them, such as this one. Out of all the inputs we received from residents, it's very alarming that around five per cent were about tariffs."
With the public participation complete, Mthembu said the next step was to present the draft budget before the council for a debate and vote.