Nkayi earmarks devolution funds for capital projects
NKAYI Rural District Council is prioritising the implementation of major capital projects, which include roads rehabilitation as it steps up efforts to improve service delivery.
The RDC approved a $418 million budget this year and $158 million of this amount is coming from central Government as devolution funds, which will fund most of the capital projects.
Nkayi is regarded as one of the highly impoverished districts in the country that is in urgent need of support to improve livelihoods.
A recent independent baseline assessment survey report commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), indicated that the district has a poverty prevalence rate of 95,6 percent in almost every ward.
Acting Nkayi RDC chief executive officer, Mr Lawrence Mudimba said the local authority also received $11,5 million grant from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), which was used to tar a 1,7km stretch of road at the business centre.
“Our 2021 budget is $418 million and a large chunk of that money is funding capital projects, which include the acquisition of equipment for water and sanitation, road equipment which include a tipper, front end loader, a roller and a water bowser,” he said.
Mr Mudimba said the local authority has no ambulance and relies on an old tractor for refuse collection.
“We don’t have an ambulance and we are looking at purchasing one and a refuse compact truck under the social services cluster. The devolution funds will help us complete classroom blocks and rehabilitating boreholes at clinics,” he said.
Nkayi has a poor road network and the local authority has set aside $66 million for road projects while $45 million will go towards water supply and sewer reticulation.
The district is characterised by low and erratic rainfall hence it frequently experiences droughts.
“Most of the transporters contracted by Government to deliver grain in Nkayi have pulled out citing poor roads and this has affected us as a district, which is why we are prioritising roads rehabilitation in our budget,” said Mr Mudimba.
“We are also trying to revive our hunting quota along the Gwampa Valley as well as bill the more than 2 000 households at Nkayi business centre to boost our revenue.”
Mr Mudimba said while Nkayi District is well known for having teak, of late there has been a sharp decline in terms of output in the timber concession areas.
“Timber royalties used to be our main revenue source but lately there hasn’t been anything meaningful coming and the contribution of timber revenue to our budget has dropped to as little as two percent.
“We are however still realising significant revenue from cattle sales,” he said.
Mr Mudimba aid although Nkayi is regarded as the country’s poorest district, it has a potential for economic growth due to its strategic location and abundant natural resources.-chronicle.c.zw
