Budget approved despite R16m addition

THE Nelson Mandela Bay council approved a largely pro-poor R9.68-billion budget yesterday, despite uncertainty as to where it would get the additional R15.9-million needed to establish the metro police service.

While chief financial officer Trevor Harper is adamant the money will come from improving traffic fine collections and opening a new driving licence centre in Motherwell, by law the annual budget must be funded from "realistically anticipated revenues".

The date of the new licensing centre's opening has not yet been finalised. And the safety and security department has, for many years, failed to reach fine collection targets, with the latest figures showing a staggering R140-million owed to the city by motorists. - Rochelle de Kock