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Business Reporter
A local property development firm, Equity Properties says it’s committed to completing its Golden CT suburb near Mt Pleasant heights, which will further create employment.
An official with the organisation said their plans could only come to fruition if stand owners within the suburb co-operate with them.

“We need a common approach to issues affecting the project so that we can move forward with the project,” said the official.

The development comes as some stand owners are divided over additional costs that arose after the Harare City Council made fresh demands as a condition for issuing a compliance certificate.

The Harare City Council asked the developer to put in a second layer of tar to the one that they had laid, build stand access culvert bridges and line drains, which increased cost of stands from $18 per square meter to $20,43 per square metre.

The additional costs were passed on to the stand owners in accordance with the agreement of sale resulted in the split.

Zimra in 2011 also directed Equity to remit VAT on the sale of all its stands sold from 2009 and also levied penalties on the unpaid VAT since 2009.

Equity absorbed the penalties but passed on just VAT payments to stand owners which also increased costs for stand owners, which again was contested by some residents.

Already the majority of residents have complied and are keen for the project to proceed. These residents who belong to Golden CT Residents Association yesterday emphasised their position in an advertisement.

They urged those against paying the additional costs to do so for the good of project and to ensure that it continues to provide employment to hundreds of people directly and indirectly.

The association, which was calling itself Group A, said it members had either paid the costs or made payment plans with the developer while their defiant colleagues (Group B) have done nothing, yet it was clear that they are responsible for paying the additional costs and VAT.

“Group A wants the housing development to be completed soon, so that they get title deeds. Group A is against the position taken by Group B of refusing to pay additional costs because that will stall the project, preventing it from completion; delay both the compliance certificate and transfer of stands into individual title deeds.

“In our opinion if there are purchasers who do not want to pay the additional costs, it is better for them to leave the housing scheme rather than hinder progress of the project.

“They should go and get refunds from the developer and buy stands elsewhere where they can afford. Buying into a housing scheme is a matter of choice No one is forced to do so,” the Association said.

It also stated that the additional requirements that were demanded by the Harare City Council were justified as they were meant for the benefit of the residents.

“In business there are different niche markets or targets. The Golden CT suburb is an upmarket suburb being done by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans. It has certain high standards which have been agreed to by the Harare City Council, the developer and the residents which are paying the additional costs.

“You cannot enjoy both an upmarket suburb and not pay additional costs which are necessary to improve the quality of the suburb. Those refusing to pay are trying to lower the standards. The bickering on this matter can also lower the value of our properties in the housing scheme and we do not want that,” the association added.

It also warned that those refusing to pay on the basis that they had agreements of sale risk having these cancelled because these are not title deeds.

The other members were however not readily available for comment although indication were that they want clarity on how the additional costs were reached.