LCC’s garbage collection fee proposal quizzed

LUSAKA Mayor Wilson Kalumba says the council is proposing a lower garbage collection fee through deductions of talk time whose aim is to capture its desired target.

Mr Kalumba bemoaned that only few Lusaka residents paid their garbage collection fees and he expressed hope that the new mechanism of deducting the fee through talk time would capture its intended target.

The civic leader said this yesterday, when he appeared on Millennium radio. He said the garbage collection through talk time could possibly be even lower. Mr Kalumba said as soon as a customer recharged for talk time a specific fee meant for garbage collection would be deducted.

“What the council is proposing through this system is probably even a lower garbage collection fee. Only few people in Lusaka pay for garbage but through the deduction of talk time we will be able to capture our intended customers,” he said.

But listeners expressed divergent views and wondered how the system would operate as a household may have as many as six members with cell phones.

A radio listener David Kapata, wondered why he would be charged for garbage collection upon purchasing talk time and yet pay for the same to a company designated to collect garbage routinely at his residence.

Some callers urged Mr Kalumba to ensure that councillors collaborate with residents to encourage the cleaning of residential areas.