Municipalities have the responsibility to make sure that all citizens are provided with services to satisfy their basic needs. The most important services the municipality must provide are:

• Water supply
• Sewage collection and disposal
• Refuse removal
• Electricity and gas supply
• Municipal health services (mostly environmental health)
• Municipal roads and stormwater drainage
• Street lighting
• Municipal parks and recreation

Municipalities provide services to people by using their own resources – finances, equipment and employees. People have to pay a certain rate to the municipality for providing these services.