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George Maponga in Masvingo
Harare and Masvingo municipalities and Masvingo Rural District Council have become the first local authorities to comply with Government’s directive to scrap off out-standing rates and bills debts.At a press conference yesterday, Harare’s caretaker council chairperson Mr Alfred Tome assured residents that their rates and water arrears have been written off.
“The directive is standing and we want to assure to residents of Greater Harare that following the proclamation by his Excellency President Robert Mugabe we are hereby writing off all debts,” he said.
He said the move was in compliance with the Government’s directive to write off outstanding debts by ratepayers for outstanding rentals, licenses, refuse charges, levies and rates in terms of the Prescription Act (Chapter:13) as from February 2009 to June 30 2013.
“What should be affecting residents now is that which was accrued from July 1,” Mr Tome said.
The country’s 92 local authorities are owed over US$2 billion in unpaid rates and bills.
Masvingo city on Monday scrapped nearly US$12 million owed by ratepayers in compliance with a Government directive ordering all local authorities to cancel debts owed dating back to February 2009.
The debt write off is expected to nationally release at least US$2 billion into the economy that has been owed to the councils.
Chairman of Masvingo city and rural councils caretaker committee Mr James Mazvidza on Monday announced that the two local authorities had heeded Government’s directive to cancel the debts owed by residents.
Mr Mazvidza said Masvingo City Council wrote off US$6,7 million, while Masvingo Rural District Council scrapped US$4,8 million.
He said the two local authorities were fully behind Government’s directive which was meant to mitigate the plight of Zimbabweans in the prevailing harsh economic environment.
“We have complied with a directive by Government that we scrap all debts owed by ratepayers and we believe that the move will cushion our ratepayers who have been struggling to make ends meet owing to economic hardships,” said Mr Mazvidza.
“We hope that the move will leave our ratepayers in a new and better position to fulfil their new rates obligations.”
Mr Mazvidza urged ratepayers to complement the gesture by the councils through timeous and consistent payment of their rates and bills.
Meanwhile, Dr Chombo on Monday said that many other Zimbabweans wanted the debt write-off to be extended to electricity and water controlled by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority.
He was speaking after distributing residential stands to Ruwa residents at Solomio Farm near the town.
“The people at the farm said the debt write off must be extended to Zesa and Zinwa,” he said.
“But these are under Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma and Water Resources Development and Management Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo who belong to the MDC-T and do not believe in giving people an opportunity.”
Minister Chombo said contrary to the reports that the cancelling of the cumulative US$2 billion debt for ratepayers would release the money into the national economy.
He said local authorities were not going to get the money anyway because residents were not coming forth to pay and it was costing the councils much more to follow-up on the debts.
President Mugabe has since said the debt cancellation would bring relief to the majority of ratepayers who were being exploited by MDC-T dominated councils.
Online Reporter