First CMC budget under Chief City Administrator

Shirley Wijesinghe

The first budget of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) under the regime of Chief City Administrator Omar Kamil was presented yesterday.

The CMC budget for the year 2010 is based on estimated revenue of Rs 6709 million, compared to an expected expenditure Rs 6,707 million. All development activities of the council for the year 2010 are planned with the objective of earning the above estimated revenue of Rs 6709 million.

Presenting the budget CMC Chief City Administrator Omar Kamil said that plans are being made to implement programs targeting the welfare and benefit of city citizens including ratepayers.

The CMC has decided to honour ratepayers of the city by issuing special beneficiary card to those who have paid taxes for continuously during last five years . The ratepayers receive special treatment for any service of the council through a special unit to be opened at the customer care division.

The main objective of this recognition is to add a special value for their timely tax payment, Kamil said.

At the first stage, 100 ratepayers will be selected from companies and individuals who have paid their tax payments on schedule, he added.

He said that the CMC will accept the rate payments through the bank credit cards from next year to ease the rush.

The CMC is to introduce this system for the first time among the local bodies in the country.

The CMC turned its attention to improve the city’s development activities to raise the productivity and road rehabilitation, construction of public toilets and install new traffic signal system during the year 2010, he said.

He also said that a program will be implemented with the participation and sponsorship of Government ministries , department and voluntary organizations to serve the people in the low income category living within the city limits in the year 2010.

Providing the existing six District Officers of the City limits with full powers and required machinery and equipment to serve the people will be another priority? the next year, he said.