Gweru residents call for enhanced budget transparency and accessibility
GWERU Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) has issued a critical assessment of the city’s budget participation process, noting both progress and persistent challenges faced by the community.
According to the GRRA’s position paper titled ‘GRRA Position: Participation in the City of Gweru’, while there has been an improvement in service delivery across various sectors, substantial gaps in citizen engagement and satisfaction remain.
The GRRA highlights that Gweru is witnessing advancements in areas such as water supply, sanitation, refuse collection, health, and education.
This positive shift is attributed to increased budget participation, where “residents’ priorities and preferences have been considered during budget formulation meetings.”
The GRRA stated that empowering residents to be “makers and shapers of decisions at local level” is crucial for effective governance.
However, the position paper underscores the need for further strengthening of resident participation in the budget formulation process.
Despite the improvements, many residents express dissatisfaction with certain services.
“Some residents are still dissatisfied with services such as health, education, and the environmental cleanliness and hygiene of their respective areas,” the paper states, revealing the ongoing challenges that must be addressed.
The City Of Gweru has made strides in enhancing budget consultations, with an increased willingness to invite stakeholders to performance reviews and pre-budget meetings.
“This shows GCC’s desire and willingness to promote inclusive participation, peace, and good governance,” the resident’s mouthpiece said.
Yet, residents feel that more can be done and many have pointed out that the council often fails to provide budget documents in a timely manner, which is “one of the biggest drivers of low turnout of residents at these budget consultations.”
Responding to these challenges, the GRRA has outlined key recommendations for the council saying residents are calling for the GCC to provide essential documents such as tariffs, income and expenditure reports, and a budget strategy paper for the 2025 draft budget.
“This will help us make informed decisions,” the paper further asserts.
Moreover, the GRRA urges the GCC to enhance its communication strategy by advertising budget consultations two weeks in advance across all platforms, both online and offline, to improve participation.
They are also advocating for the livestreaming of the 2025 Pre-Budget meeting, allowing residents who cannot attend in person to stay informed and involved.
Source: Commutalk