Windhoek: The Tsumeb Municipality has defended its decision to implement a five per cent increase in municipal service tariffs from 01 July 2026, saying the adjustment is necessary to maintain financial sustainability and ensure the continued delivery of essential services.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Municipality public relations officer Stella Mwenyo explained that the tariff increase forms part of the council-approved 2026/27 budget. She stated that the increase was driven by rising operational costs, inflationary pressures, and growing infrastructure maintenance requirements. "The decision was informed by rising operational costs, inflationary pressures, increasing infrastructure maintenance requirements and the need to maintain reliable service delivery while balancing the financial realities facing residents," she said.
Mwenyo detailed that the increase was determined through the municipality's annual budgeting process, which considered projected expenditure, expected revenue requirements, inflation, and the actual cost of providing municipal services. The council assessed several budget scenarios before approving the five per cent increase in an effort to balance financial sustainability with affordability for residents.
The revised tariffs will apply to services including water, sewerage and drainage services, refuse collection, fire brigade services, business licensing, and other municipal administrative fees outlined in the approved tariff schedule. Mwenyo emphasized that the additional revenue generated by the increase will be used to maintain and upgrade municipal infrastructure, including roads, water and sanitation systems, refuse collection services, public facilities, fleet operations, and other priority service delivery programmes.
She noted that residents should not expect immediate large-scale improvements, but the additional funding will help improve service reliability and strengthen the municipality's capacity to respond to community needs. "The tariff adjustment is intended to enable the municipality to maintain essential service delivery while strengthening its capacity to address infrastructure maintenance and operational requirements," she added.
Addressing concerns about the impact on vulnerable residents, Mwenyo assured that the municipality would continue providing existing support measures. These include rebates for registered pensioners and persons with disabilities, flexible payment arrangements where applicable, and other council-approved relief mechanisms.
Mwenyo acknowledged that no formal public consultation was conducted before the tariff adjustment was approved due to time constraints during the 2026/27 budget process. However, she affirmed that the municipality remains committed to strengthening stakeholder engagement in future budget processes to promote transparency, accountability, and inclusive decision-making.