Rural and Urban Councils are set to receive the recently introduced 2% intermediary money transfer tax for the provision of water and sewer rehabilitation, an official has said. 
Speaking at a press conference on a grant signing ceremony of the Emergency to Control and Avert the 2018 cholera outbreak, Secretary for finance in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development George Guvamatanga said the money was also going to be used in devolution of power in councils.
“We have also started as government to ensure that we seriously look at water and sanitation .
“I think this is being largely funded by newly introduced intermediary money transfer tax, the 2% over and over and above using it as well to look after whole devolution but the funds that we are also putting into the provinces will further enable us to look at our infrastructure as well so there is quite a lot of effort now to ensure that as government there is support for water and sanitation,” Guvamatanga said.
He said government was looking at 18 Rural District Councils and 18 Urban Councils that are going to be supported.
“I think for the 2019 budget, we are looking at 18 Rural District Councils where we are looking at water and sanitation, provision of water as well as sewer rehabilitation.
“We are also looking at another 18 urban councils where as government, we are also going to be supporting,” he said.
This comes as Harare City Council is proposing to sell its debtors’ book so that it can raise funds to fund its service delivery mandate.
councils have been failing to provide proper sanitation for residents resulting in cholera outbreaks that have since claimed a lot of lives.
Water has been scarce in some parts of the country with some parts like Warren Park getting water twice a week.
2 Cents Tax To Fund Rural And Urban Councils’ Water, Sewer Rehabilitation
