adminLoveness Bepete/Mpumelelo Nyoni Chronicle Reporters
THE Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) is owed more than $900 million by its domestic and industrial consumers, an increase of $100 million in less than a year.
Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira yesterday said as a result, the power utility had put in place credit control measures to stem the continued failure to settle bills by people and companies that owed the power utility $800 million last year.
“Zesa is owed in excess of $900 million by all customer categories and has put in place mechanisms to collect the money,” said Gwasira.
He said the power utility had come up with payment plans for defaulters and automatic deduction on the purchase of prepaid coupons.
Gwasira urged consumers to settle their bills and warned that defaulters could face litigation or disconnections.
“Clients with outstanding debts are informed that credit control measures are underway countrywide.
“Legal channels, with supply disconnections, will be the last resort if there is no response from the customer,” he said.
The power utility company has been operating below capacity with most parts of the country being subjected to load shedding lasting up to 18 hours per day.
Gwasira said Zesa had completed 97 percent of its prepaid meter project, with 515 000 prepaid meters having been installed at a cost of $60 million countrywide.
The prepaid meters were installed as a way of increasing revenue, but the project has proved not to be water tight as power thefts through tampering with the metres had resulted in loss of potential revenue.
derick.khumalo