Mariental residents face rates increases

RESIDENTS at Mariental will have to cough up between six and seven per cent more for basic services from next month.

The Municipality has increased its electricity tariff by 7,2 per cent. Sanitation, water usage and assessment rates are all set to rise by six per cent.The increases were unveiled when the Mariental Town Council approved its N$28,6 million budget for the fiscal year 2007-2008.A budget surplus of N$102 140 is projected, while N$28,5 million is forecast for expenditure.The bulk of spending – equivalent to 33 per cent of the total budget – is for electricity usage.Salary spending is expected to be 9,6 per cent of the total, and water usage 6,5 per cent.The Municipality also set aside N$ 2 million for capital projects.In her budget speech, the Mayor of Mariental, Priscilla Beukes, expressed fears about handing over the town’s electricity to a new company – Southern Regional Electricity Distributors (Sored) – which is expected to be established soon.Beukes said that the Town Council would lose out on its biggest income earner – 59,7 per cent of income – from the sale of electricity.Sanitation, water usage and assessment rates are all set to rise by six per cent.The increases were unveiled when the Mariental Town Council approved its N$28,6 million budget for the fiscal year 2007-2008.A budget surplus of N$102 140 is projected, while N$28,5 million is forecast for expenditure.The bulk of spending – equivalent to 33 per cent of the total budget – is for electricity usage.Salary spending is expected to be 9,6 per cent of the total, and water usage 6,5 per cent.The Municipality also set aside N$ 2 million for capital projects.In her budget speech, the Mayor of Mariental, Priscilla Beukes, expressed fears about handing over the town’s electricity to a new company – Southern Regional Electricity Distributors (Sored) – which is expected to be established soon.Beukes said that the Town Council would lose out on its biggest income earner – 59,7 per cent of income – from the sale of electricity.