Date Of Article: 11/28/2002
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Assemblies plead with ratepayers
By: Aubrey Mchulu
The Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) has pleaded with land and property owners in the country’s 39 local assemblies to timely pay due ground rates to enable the assemblies provide better services to them. Malga president Victor Chilambula, speaking in an interview on Thursday during a day-long fifth Malga council meeting in Blantyre, much as assemblies would want to provide better services such as refuse collection, modern markets and clinics, this cannot be possible because the funds are with the people who are likely to benefit from the said services. “We want our clients to pay rates to enable us provide better services,” he said. Minister of Local Government and District Administration Patrick Mbewe, officially opening the meeting, challenged Malga members to address the problems of low levels of finances, poor infrastructure and inadequate delivery of services to citizens. Chilambula, whose association is the link between local government and central government, said in an interview Malga has put in place mechanisms in form of task forces to educate property owners and other ratepayers on the importance of paying rates. Ratepayers collectively owe city, town and district assemblies millions of kwachas in unpaid rates. But, Chilambula could not say the impact of the arrangement, saying it is too early to make an assessment. Mbewe, in his address, also deplored rivalry between elected assembly members and employees in the running of functions of their respective institutions. He said the function of elected members is to formulate policy while that of employees is to implement policy. “Elected members should not concern themselves with the day-to-day management of the [assembly] secretariat,” he said. Delegates to the meeting included mayors, chairpersons and chief executives of city, town and district assemblies.
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