Walvis Bay budgets for land development

The chairperson of the Walvis Bay municipality’s management committee, Tobias Nambala, presented the town’s 2016/2017 capital and operational budgets and tariffs structure to the mayor last week.
The management committee proposed a capital budget of N$363.7 million, with expected revenue estimated at N$393.3 million and expected expenditure of N$ 395.8 million.
The expected deficit for the financial year amounts to N$2.5 million.
The biggest share, totalling N$174 million, was allocated for land development, with 16 extensions planned for the year. Five of the extensions are at an advanced planning stage and will yield about 1 269 erven once completed.
Service delivery-related projects will receive N$96 million.
These entail the implementation, upgrading and replacement of water and sewer infrastructure and upgrading of the Long Beach Reservoir pump station.
The upgrading of existing wastewater treatment works, construction of new treatment plants, upgrading of Narraville pump station and construction of new pump station as well as the construction of a new reservoir at Mile 7, the upgrading of current sewage treatment plant, major replacement of defective lines, planning of a new sewage treatment plant and fencing of the landfill site also fall under this category.
Infrastructure-related projects will receive N$41 million. Projects consist of the resealing of streets and pavements in all suburbs, surfacing of pavements, tarring of streets, construction of garages and structural maintenance to the Civic Centre.
Community or social projects will receive N$26 million. Projects under this category include the upgrading of Kuisebmond Stadium, Tutaleni Fire Station, a new campsite at Dolphin Park, the fencing of the new caravan park, a new cemetery at Narraville, industrial stalls in Kuisebmond, construction of a boundary wall at the Walvis Bay cemetery, upgrading of sport facilities and traffic patrol vehicles and Office space.
N$15.7 million was allocated for individual projects in the detailed capital budget and N$11 million for vehicle replacements and additions.
Components under this category are maintenance of vehicles used for roads and sewer systems and refuse-removal vehicles.
The council obtains approximately 80% of its revenue from water and related services, property rates and taxes, refuse removal and sanitation services.
A 10% average tariff adjustment on water supply services, property rates and taxes, site values, improvements, refuse removal and sewage services was proposed.
According to Nambala the adjustments are necessary in order to maintain the standards residents have become used to in terms of service delivery
He also announced that a five-year valuation of rateable properties as per Section 66 of the Local Authorities Act had been finalised and approved by the valuation court.
The value of rateable properties has increased about 62% from N$6.9 billion to N$11.1 billion.
Because of the significant increase, the council had no choice but to reduce its tariffs structure for rateable properties. Details of such reduction, including the annual tariff adjustments for other services, will be made available once gazetted.

OTIS FINCK