50PC DISCOUNT FOR RATEPAYERS:

HARARE City Council has opened a 90-day window within which ratepayers who settle their debts in full will enjoy a 50 percent discount.

Government, businesses and residents now owe the local authority over $784 million.

Council hopes the incentives will rescue Harare from a financial crisis which has seen the local authority failing to pay salaries and provide basic services such as refuse collection.

When the city introduced a similar facility in 2016, it raked in $85 million.

Policy inconsistencies regarding debt collection continue to cost the cashstrapped local authority.

The Finance Development Committee made the proposal which was was acceded to by Acting Mayor Enock Mupamawonde.

Acting finance director Mr Stanley Ndemera had told the councillors that economic hardships had severely affected the city’s ability to collect revenue and that some residents with paid-up accounts could be offered discounts to encourage them to maintain them.

The city’s corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme yesterday encouraged residents to take advantage of the window.

During the discussion, the committee appreciated the proposal to offer discounts on paid up accounts and also deliberated on proposals to motivate residents whose accounts were in arrears.

The committee resolved that residents with paid up residential accounts be discounted 50 percent of current bills of such properties and residents whose accounts are in arrears be discounted 50 percent of every payment made towards clearing bills for such properties.