Council outsources services

PLANS by the Keetmanshoop Municipality to outsource water and sewerage maintenance have sparked anger among some of the municipal maintenance workers.

The Municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, said high spending on overtime payments necessitated the outsourcing. He said the move was also aimed at improving the Council’s service delivery to residents.Municipal workers say the cost of outsourcing the services will be the same as the municipality currently spends on their salaries and overtime.Shangadhi disagreed, saying that outsourcing would cost the Council considerably less.”After we’ve listened to some of the workers’ concerns, we concluded that it boils down to jealousy, because it’s an open secret that a former employee would be contracted to render the services,” he said.Shangadhi said the municipality had overspent its maintenance budget by N$30 000 during the previous financial year.”The Council budgeted N$50 000 for the 2006/07 financial year, but the spending spiralled to N$88 000,” he said.Only N$10 000 was budgeted for the current fiscal year.Shangadhi said the outsourcing plan was taken into consideration when the budget was drawn up, and it would be implemented soon.”Administrative matters are delaying the process,” he added.He said the move was also aimed at improving the Council’s service delivery to residents.Municipal workers say the cost of outsourcing the services will be the same as the municipality currently spends on their salaries and overtime.Shangadhi disagreed, saying that outsourcing would cost the Council considerably less.”After we’ve listened to some of the workers’ concerns, we concluded that it boils down to jealousy, because it’s an open secret that a former employee would be contracted to render the services,” he said.Shangadhi said the municipality had overspent its maintenance budget by N$30 000 during the previous financial year.”The Council budgeted N$50 000 for the 2006/07 financial year, but the spending spiralled to N$88 000,” he said.Only N$10 000 was budgeted for the current fiscal year.Shangadhi said the outsourcing plan was taken into consideration when the budget was drawn up, and it would be implemented soon.”Administrative matters are delaying the process,” he added.