Northern Municipality Budget Increase Urged to Improve Services

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: mail@newsobahrain.com

The Northern Municipal Council's Finance and Legal Committee has recommended a budget increase for the municipality, citing inadequate funding impacting service delivery. The committee's proposal, which will be submitted to the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, aims to align the municipality's budget with its revenue generation and bring it in line with other municipalities.

The committee highlighted that current funding levels are insufficient to provide satisfactory services to residents. "The low budget has negatively impacted key areas, including waste collection, sanitation, sewage pumping, security, landscaping, and cleaning contracts," the committee explained in a statement.

The committee stressed that the substandard services are detrimental to the municipality's reputation and overall service quality. It also noted that the Northern Municipality has the smallest workforce compared to other municipalities, despite its large area and population, requiring a significant increase in staffing levels. Additional budget allocation for gardening and landscaping projects was also deemed necessary.

"Following a review of the municipality's financial report and discussions with the head of the accounting department, the committee decided to formally propose the budget increase as a resolution to the council's standing general meeting," the statement pointed out.

The committee emphasised the need for equitable treatment with other municipalities. While the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture covers maintenance, security, and landscaping costs for other municipalities, the Northern Municipality bears these expenses from its own limited budget, the committee stated.

The committee suggests that contracts for shared services, such as rainwater pumping, landscaping, security, and tree planting, should be standardised across all municipalities under the ministry's supervision, ensuring consistent service quality.