Rates would go up by 3,5 percent if the City of Cape Town's safety and security departments, including fire services and the Metro Police, are given the extra R234-million they have requested for the next three years' operating budget.
Fire services were facing litigation because of the lack of capacity, the safety and security portfolio committee was warned on Thursday.
But committee chair J P Smith said the request for additional budget, although "desirable", was "unrealistic".
As it was, the R920-million operating budget on the table would increase rates by 1,5 percent, he said.
An additional allocation for safety and security would add 2 percent more to the extra R70-million allocated each year and require an overall rates hike of 3,5 percent.
Pat Adams, director of emergency services, said the funding was necessary if international safety standards were to be met.
"There is no secret about the state of the fire services. It would be pathetic if we did not get somewhere close (to the budget request)."
The additional R212-million sought for the fire department accounts for most of the R234-million extra for which the emergency services directorate is asking for its operating budget.
Of the R212-million being requested, R141-million was to fill vacancies. At least R78-million was needed for the 450 critical vacancies that needed to be filled to avoid extra expenditure on unstructured overtime.
Adams said the 124 extra staff budgeted for were welcomed, but were only for the 2010 World Cup. The fire services has a shortfall of 664 staff.
"We will be in the same situation as Johannesburg (where funds could not be found to deal with the growing staff shortage).
"I am cautioning this committee that litigation is upon us." - Cape Times
Fire services were facing litigation because of the lack of capacity, the safety and security portfolio committee was warned on Thursday.
But committee chair J P Smith said the request for additional budget, although "desirable", was "unrealistic".
As it was, the R920-million operating budget on the table would increase rates by 1,5 percent, he said.
An additional allocation for safety and security would add 2 percent more to the extra R70-million allocated each year and require an overall rates hike of 3,5 percent.
Pat Adams, director of emergency services, said the funding was necessary if international safety standards were to be met.
"There is no secret about the state of the fire services. It would be pathetic if we did not get somewhere close (to the budget request)."
The additional R212-million sought for the fire department accounts for most of the R234-million extra for which the emergency services directorate is asking for its operating budget.
Of the R212-million being requested, R141-million was to fill vacancies. At least R78-million was needed for the 450 critical vacancies that needed to be filled to avoid extra expenditure on unstructured overtime.
Adams said the 124 extra staff budgeted for were welcomed, but were only for the 2010 World Cup. The fire services has a shortfall of 664 staff.
"We will be in the same situation as Johannesburg (where funds could not be found to deal with the growing staff shortage).
"I am cautioning this committee that litigation is upon us." - Cape Times
No comments:
Post a Comment