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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has exposed Harare City Council management’s inefficiency after revealing that the city only applied for rebate last week for 10 refuse trucks which arrived in the country in December.

Responding to claims by the city that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has been withholding its trucks for over a month over rebate, Secretary for Finance Mr Willard Manungo said the city had also failed to respond to eligibility requests made by Zimra for the trucks to be released.

This has raised the ire of council’s Environment and Management Committee chairperson Councillor Herbert Gomba who said they would take action against the city management for misleading his committee and compromising service delivery.

Harare acquired 10 refuse compactors from China-based company FAW Group Corporation, for $3,1 million and the first nine trucks were delivered last year. The trucks were bought under the $30 million loan facility accessed from local banks for recapitalisation.

“Section 144G of the Customs and Exercise (general) Regulations provides for rebate on duty on refuse collection and road maintenance vehicles to be used by or on behalf of any local authority. This rebate is granted after an application is lodged with Zimra,” said Mr Manungo.

“In accordance with the legislation, the City of Harare supply manager Mr Murerwa (Never), submitted an application letter on the 7th February, 2018 seeking rebate on the refuse trucks.

“He was advised to submit support documents which include invoices, in order to confirm the eligibility of the trucks as well as enable lodging of the bill of entry.”

Mr Manungo said despite follow ups by Zimra through e-mails and telephone calls, the city has not complied with the request.

He said the revenue department had also contacted Harare City Council officials who include Mr Michael Chideme (corporate communications manager Michael Chideme) and Acting town clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango in order to get details pertaining to the circumstances surrounding clearance of the trucks and they promised to check the paper work but neither gave feedback nor responded to the follow up calls.

Clr Gomba yesterday said officials had made his committee believe that Zimra was holding the city’s refuse                           trucks.

“Any employee found to have not done his/her job including misleading will be dealt with through disciplinary process. It is high time workers who do not fit into the service delivery agenda be asked to work elsewhere outside our industry,” he said.

The project of acquiring the goods which arrived in December was granted national status. Projects awarded national status are given preferential treatment, including exemptions from paying import duty and other taxes.