Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
HARARE City Council has expressed satisfaction over the response shown by residents in paying their current bills after the Government’s directive to scrap debts owed by residents from February 2009 to June 30, 2013.
The Council, however, hinted that it would soon embark on a blitz targeting defaulting consumers.
In an interview, the city’s director of business development and revenue collection, Mr Cosmas Zvikaramba, said in areas where revised bills were sent residents were paying their bills timeously.

Just before the 31 July harmonised elections Government ordered all local authorities countrywide to write off debts owed by residents from February 2009 to June this year. Harare cancelled debts amounting to US$330 million in line with the Government directive.

“People who benefited from the slashing of bills are keen and eager to settle their current bills. Those who are yet to receive bills have been visiting our offices to inquire on their bills,” said Mr Zvikaramba. Commenting on complaints that some people were receiving high bills after the scrapping of debts Mr Zvikaramba said: “This was a massive exercise, anomalies are bound to happen.

“We urge those with queries to approach our offices to see the composition of the bill”.
Mr Zvikaramba said the August bill was sent out with the necessary adjustments.

Council, he said, was also in the process of giving residents forms to fill so that they could view their bills on the councils’ website as well as receive their bills via the short message service. He said given that Council had written off debts, ratepayers were supposed to settle their bills to avoid disconnections.

Mr Zvikaramba urged companies to take advantage of the 30 percent discount offer which ends in December to settle their arrears.
“Those corporates in arrears should settle their current bills in full and pay a portion of the arrears in line with the agreed payment plans,” he said. The city has potential to collect up to US$21 million every month if all ratepayers pay their bills.

The money is required to pay staff salaries, buy water treatment chemicals, pay off loans, buy fuel for refuse and service vehicles, road maintenance material and equipment and to purchase medicines for the council’s clinics, among other essentials that keep the City afloat.

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