adminMarvelous Moyo and Sukulwenkosi Dube Chronicle Correspondents
THE Gwanda and Plumtree Town Councils have written off debts owed by residents as directed by Government.
Gwanda Town Council wrote off debts amounting to more than $3million while Plumtree was owed $1 million by the residents.In a notice issued yesterday, the Gwanda Town Council said it had written off residents’ debts accumulated during the past four years as directed by the Government.
“The public is hereby notified that, pursuant to the Government directive issued on 23 July 2013, all bills owed by individual rate payers have been written off,” read the notice signed by the Town Clerk, Mr Gilbert Mlilo.
Gwanda residents owed the council about $3 million and a total of 3 730 residential properties benefited from the cancellation of the bills.
“In view of the above, all the bills issued at the end of July 2013 or soon thereafter should reflect zero balances brought forward in respect of the properties referred to herein,” said Mr Mlilo.
However, Mr Mlilo advised the business community to settle their debts as they were not covered by the directive.
“It should be noted that in terms of the circular referred to herein, corporates (business entities) are not beneficiaries of the write off arrangement and are therefore expected to pay their obligations in full.
“However, if such corporates have challenges, they are advised to make viable payment arrangements with the municipality,” he said.
Mr Mlilo said as of 30 June the business community owed the council about $1million.
In Plumtree, the Town Council Secretary, Mr Davis Dumezweni Luthe said the bills which had been written off included assessment rates, sanitation levies and rentals for both high and low density areas.
“We have complied with the Government directive to write off all bills for residents amounting to $1 million. These bills accumulated from the period 13 August 2009 up to 30 June this year.
“They comprise assessment rates paid by residents in low density areas, sanitation levies paid by those in high density areas and rentals paid for council leased houses,” said Mr Luthe in an interview yesterday.
He said the local authority was in the process of issuing residents with statements.
“We are in the process of issuing residents with statements that only contain charges for the month of July and August this year as we have written off the debts up to 30 June this year,” said Mr Luthe.
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