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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
Chitungwiza Municipality has extended its promotion of 50 percent discount to ratepayers who settle their debts in full up to March 31 following pleas from residents.

Initially, the promotion ran from February 15 to March 15 and was only meant for residents.

Chitungwiza Municipality public relations officer Mr Lovemore Meya confirmed the development yesterday and urged residents to take advantage of the discount window period.

“We realised that some of the residents had been left out of the promotion due to the period we had offered it, hence they requested that council extends the promotion and we took heed of their pleas.

“We are encouraging residents to make payments to avoid last minute rush. They can even use our biller codes for convenience sake,” Mr Meya said.

Unfortunately, council officials declined to reveal figures of how much was raised during the promotion period. The promotion was introduced after councillors passed a resolution to that effect.

The local authority carried a similar promotion last year from September to December, but the 30 percent discount was only applicable to residents who owed not more than $150.

The exercise did not yield desirable results and finance director Mrs Evagelista Machona advised the councillors that it was not prudent to run the promotion again since the creditors’ figure was more than the debtors figure.

As at December 2018, council was being owed $70,2 million, with commercial clients accounting for $27,4 million and residents $42,8 million.