GWERU City Council is owed more than $52 million by ratepayers as residents and other debtors fail to settle their bills due to the liquidity crunch, mayor Charles Chikozho has said.
By Tinotenda Samukange
Chikozho said debtors should visit council offices to make payment plans on how to settle their bills.
“We are currently owed $18 290 628 by industrial and commercial consumers with government departments owing us $4 427 679,” Chikozho said.
“We are also currently owed
$29 501 105 by residential consumers and the total from our debtors as at March 31, 2017 is at $52 219 411.”
He said although council has since handed some of the debtors to lawyers they [debtors] should come to the local authority to make negotiations for settling their bills.
Chikozho also revealed council’s creditors were at $42 215 735, with the municipality owing Zesa $23 123 498.
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“We have since entered a deed of settlement with ZETDC at the High Court of Zimbabwe in Harare in which we are paying $60 000 monthly in a bid to liquidate the arrears,” he said.
“This is not withstanding the current monthly average bill of electricity amounting to $280 000.”
The city father said the bulk of the electricity bill is due to the high cost of pumping water mainly from Gwenoro water pump station.
