City says trading services turnaround plan gaining momentum

THE eThekwini Municipality says its water and sanitation turnaround plan is gaining ground and it is directing funds towards improving metering systems and infrastructure maintenance in a bid to address billing complaints.

- SIPHESIHLE BUTHELEZI

Speaking at the Metro Trading Services Reforms Community Engagement held at the EWS Headquarters yesterday, Acting Executive Director for Technical Services, Ednick Msweli, said under the National Treasury's Metro Trading Services Reforms Programme, hundreds of millions of rand in funding had already been committed to help strengthen the city’s technical infrastructure.

“This is an incentive-based programme from National Treasury, whereby they make funding available to help municipalities invest in infrastructure because infrastructure is the backbone of a municipality. If we don't have infrastructure, we cant have development,’ Msweli said.

He explained that about R54 billion is being made available nationally, with an initial R400 million already allocated to metros through Treasury's Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. “It’s an incentive that if you do the right thing, invest in the right thing, you'll get that funding,’ Msweli added.

Msweli said eThekwini has submitted its strategy outlining how it plans to manage its trading services which include water and sanitation, electricity, and solid waste, and will be assessed annually by Treasury on progress.