BUSINESSES CHALLENGE LICENCE FEE HIKE

THE business community has described the shop licences fee hike by the Harare City Council as shocking and unjustified.

A number of small to medium enterprise businesspersons have signed a petition against the increase.

“As the business community of Harare guided by the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15), we feel obliged to be consulted on issues of city budgets. We are guided by Section 86 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which gives us the right to have access to information with regards to our operations.

“Currently, we are experiencing a deflation as per the Minister of Finance and Economic Development’s economic outlook for 2022. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe auction rate has remained the same for the last three months,” reads part of the petition.

One businesswoman operating salons told H-Metro that her licence fee had gone up from US$400 to US$640.

“City of Harare want to force us to close our shops because of their unjustified charges. How can we grow or continue to operate with such an unjustified increase,” she said.

Another shop operator expressed displeasure with City Fathers for charging more when vendors continue selling their goods on pavements in front of their shops.

“It’s an unjustified increase. They want to force all licence holders into vending where corruption is rampant; this is not good at all,” said the shop owner.

A number of shops dotted in the Central Business District are operating without licences and there are allegations that some City officials are taking bribes not to shut them down.