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and taxes. Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo yesterday urged local authorities to widen their revenue generation base to cushion themselves from losses caused by defaulters.
Minister Chombo — who was addressing a stakeholders’ meeting ahead of the launch of the Masvingo Community Share Ownership Trust next Wednesday — said local authorities should give people enough time to settle their arrears.
“We no longer want to hear that there are some councils in this country that attach and sell the property of those who fail to pay their rates and taxes
“That practice should be stopped and people should be given enough time to settle their arrears instead of having their assets attached and auctioned.”
Minister Chombo said it was unfortunate that some of the defaulters, especially in the rural areas, had their agricultural equipment auctioned by councils.
He said such actions were counter-productive.
Local authorities, the minister said, should be innovative and look for ways to expand their revenue generation bases.
He said the Community Share Ownership Trust initiative was one of the ways through which rural district councils could get revenue.
Funds derived from the trust could be used to finance capital projects such as roads and bridges.
Some people have had their property attached and auctioned for failing to pay rates and taxes.
Most rural district councils have over the past few years taken thousands of resettled farmers to court seeking to attach their property over failure to settle their unit tax arrears.
Online Reporter