adminSukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
PLUMTREE Town Council is set to install prepaid water meters as part of efforts to recover money owed in unpaid water bills.
Finance committee chairperson Mr Cornelius Nyathi said council had allocated $540,000 towards installing prepaid water meters at 1,500 high and medium density stands as part of its 2017 projects.
“As a strategy of improving revenue collection we will be installing prepaid water meters. This project is financed by ZB Bank and is at an advanced stage.
Council has sourced a loan of $350,000 from the bank to finance the project.
“This strategy will enable council to recover its debts from ratepayers in the same way that Zesa is currently recovering its electricity debts,” he said.
Mr Nyathi said rate payers owed council $1,2 million in unpaid water bills.
Government recently approved the council’s $5 million budget for the year 2017 which has seen the local authority reducing business licences by five percent.
The budget thrust is 50 percent maintenance of the existing infrastructure and 50 percent capitalisation.
As part of efforts to boost revenue collection, council has planned to scale up door-to-door revenue collection exercises to ensure that rate payers pay outstanding dues.
Council only collected $2,9 million out of the targeted $4, 9 million in 2016.
Last week, the municipality announced that it would introduce paid parking in the border town’s Central Business District starting from February 1.
Acting Town Secretary Mr Elvis Maphosa said motorists would be expected to pay 50 cents for 30 minutes parking.
He said the development was in line with the council’s 2017 budget.
@DubeMatutu
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