Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls City Council has agreed to reduce its 2021 budget by 50 percent following a virtual meeting with residents and business this morning.
Water and refuse charges will however remain unchanged as council management said costs associated with running tHE two services are exorbitantly high.
The local authority had proposed a nearly $1,3 billion budget for 2021 drawing the ire of residents who said the consultation process was flawed as their views were not captured.
Residents said they were shocked in January this year when many received water bills ranging between $3 000 and $9 000 per month.
The local authority released a statement over the weekend announcing a supplementary budget which it said was premised on the United States Dollar base with payments set to be done using the prevailing bank rate and called on residents to make objections within 30 days.
An all-stakeholders meeting held online resolved that all rates and charges except water and refuse, will be reduced by 50 percent.
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