From today, Tshwane residents are forking out 6.22% more for electricity, while the revenue for water services has increased by 6%.
The new rates follow a public consultation into the draft budget or medium-term revenue and expenditure framework published on the City’s website last month.
City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said there were changes made between the published draft budget and the final approved budget.
He said: “The revenue was amended to incorporate the introduction of the incentive and relief programme.”
The tariffs for electricity, for example, changed from 6.23% to 6.22%.
Bokaba said: “The way-leave tariff has been amended – the fee for processing the application changed from R15000 to R4000. Bulk contribution for roads and stormwater changed – the initial proposal for road network capacity component was R6790.80 and it is now R3395.40. All other tariffs remained the same as published.”
In terms of the new rates, the bulk purchases for water increase by 6.6%, which is in line with the Rand Water tariff increment.
On the other hand, the sanitation charges will increase by 6.6% in line with the water tariff.
Similar to the previous years, the City will grant 12kl water and 100kwh (of electricty) free of charge to poor households registered under the indigents programme.
The electricity increment was said to be based on the municipal tariff guidelines increase and benchmarks consultations paper published on March 20.
Residents must brace themselves to pay more for refuse removal, which will see a tariff increase of 6%.
All properties are not charged any property rates on the first R150000 of the value and registered indigents pay no property rates.
“Furthermore, the social package will be extended to all properties valued at R150000 and below. Rebates to pensioners and the disabled remain unchanged,” the City said.
The City’s operating revenue budget is R37.3billion and it is projected to escalate to R41.6bn in 2022/23.
Its capital budget amounted to R3.9bn for the 2020/21, R3.5bn, and R3.7bn for 2021/22 and for 2022/23, respectively.
“The operating expenditure amounts to R37.3bn, an increase of 5.3% against the 2019/20 original budget, resulting in a surplus of R1.2million for the 2020/21 financial year,” according to the draft budget report.
