Manzini City Stakeholder Budget Consultation Meeting Yields Progressive Feedback!
Through its public participatory planning and budgeting process, the municipality hosted its annual stakeholder budget consultation meeting on the Thursday, 31st August 2023. The municipality is in the process of planning and budgeting for financial year 2024/25 and as per the Integrtaed Development Planning (IDP), city stakeholders were invited through media different platforms and short message services (SMS’s) to participate and influence the planning and budgeting process towards producing the 2024/2025 Budget Estimates. The meeting was held at the Municipality’s Civic Chamber whereby (77) stakeholders deliberated and made inputs in the city’s planning and budgeting process. A projected revenue of E123m was presented with a mentioned that it was informed by various assumptions deduced from analysis of environment of business and key economic indicators. Stakeholders appreciated the Municipality for ensuring that they always get an opportunity to render their inputs and comments in the developmental initiatives and further implored the Municipality to put more effort in raising revenue and engage national government to support infrastructure development needs of the city.
The following are some of the areas of interest highlighted by the stakeholders as an area of focus for next year’s budget;
• “I noted that the Municipality is struggling to incorporate diverse streams of generating revenue. May I suggest that the municipality consider issuing of municipal bonds,” submitted Thulasizwe Bhembe from
Ward-6.
• “I am a member of the Manzini Youth Chamber of Commerce and we request that the municipality continue supporting this structure. We appreciate the establishment of youth office in the municipality. May I further suggest to the Municipality to invest more in tourism initiatives to attract tourists and create more opportunities in the city especially for the youth,” submitted by Bonkhe Motsa, from Ward 9.
• “I would like to appreciate the tremendous road infrastructure development in the city and also appreciate the Disaster Risk Assessment being conducted. May I suggest that the Municipality levy businesses in the city for generating revenue,” submitted Ntombi Ginindza, Ward (2).