Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
Gweru hoteliers have bemoaned the high rates being charged by council, which they say are threatening viability of their operations.
The hospitality players accuse council of inflating refuse charges as well as water bills. Fairmile Motel, a three-star hotel is being charged more than $1000 by council every month despite the fact that refuse collection by the local authority is erratic.
Fairmile manager, Mr Elphas Munyimi told Business Chronicle that the cost of refuse collection was threatening their business.
“We are having challenges with the rates that are being charged by council for refuse collection if you consider that at times they do not collect the refuse. There is a need for them to revise those charges downwards to at least half of what we are paying now,” he said.
Mr Munyimi called on the Midlands chapter of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (Haz) to intervene and engage council on the issue.
Midlands Hotel director Mr Hamutendi Kombayi said he was also engaging council over the issue as the number of bins at his hotel has been drastically reduced but were still being charged the same amounts.
Haz coordinator, Mr Tom Nyirenda said they will engage council over the matter including the issue of backdated water bills, which were overestimated by the local authority when the country adopted a basket of currencies in 2009.
“We will engage council because this is threatening the viability of the sector. We want council to charge reasonable rates in order to promote investment in the city,” said Mr Nyirenda.
He said most businesses were battling to clear backdated water bills because they did not benefit from the Government directive for councils to write off water bills in 2013.
Efforts to get comment from Gweru mayor, Councillor Charles Chikozho were fruitless.
Gweru proposed a static 2018 budget at $38 million.
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