BCC gives loyal ratepayers $800,000

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has credited over $800 000 to water accounts for residents and companies who were not owing the municipality when the Government ordered local authorities to write off debts in 2013.

In the latest council minutes, BCC said it had credited the money to accounts of both domestic and commercial clients following resolutions made by the municipality in 2013 and 2015 to promote the payment of rates.

It said domestic consumers were credited with $100 per account while commercial entities were credited with varying amounts.

BCC said the move was meant to encourage payment of bills.

“This was meant to motivate those customers who had good payment records and had not benefited from the Ministerial directive. A total of $733 200 had been rebated to 7 332 customers as reported on 18 February 2016,” read the minutes.

“In view of this, non-domestic account holders totalling 336 had had their accounts credited with various amounts totalling $118 128.82 in the month of June 2016.

“With regards to the non-domestic consumers, council on 2 December 2015 had extended the gesture and had resolved that credits be passed on non-domestic account holders at 10 percent on total receipts made between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2014 whose account balances at 31 October 2013 were either at zero or in credit.”

The municipality said the delay in implementing the resolution was due to the need for thorough analysis of the payment records of customers to ensure that beneficiaries had not benefited from the 50 percent discount incentive which expired on December 31 last year. — @nqotshili