Chinhoyi’s US$ bills spark outrage

TICHAONA KATSVAMUTIMA IN CHINHOYI

A decision by the Chinhoyi  municipality to index bills in the United States dollar and convert these at prevailing interbank rates has sparked outrage amid fears residents will struggle to pay the bills.

Combined Chinhoyi Residents Association chairman, Tendai Musonza, threatened to demonstrate.

“Residents will take to the streets.We have a council that does not listen to residents. But, good at serving its own selfish interests.

“You can’t punish residents because you want to buy expensive cars for management. Look at the car the town clerk of a ‘broke’ council is driving. Misplaced priorities,”fumed Musonza.

Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations Residents Trust  (ZNOART) Mashonaland West chairperson, Liberty Chitiya said ‘rebasing’ the rates reflects an illegal budget process that ushered in the use of the dollar without input from the stakeholders.

“On the same,  nothing has improved in terms of service delivery because rebasing is a way of lining council coffers not for discharge of services. ZNOART is therefore pushing for ways to engage the Ministry of Finance  and Economic Development and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to consider allocation of foreign currency to local authorities at auction system so that they procure forex charged needs,” Chitiya said.

“This will definitely stop the illegal fleecing of the scarce US dollar from residents through illegal acts such as budget rebasing which goes against the spirit of all legal instruments and the national multi currency system.”

Chinhoyi Rates and Tax Payers Association chairperson, Richard Chafausipo, said residents were ambushed as they were  never consulted over the plan to rebase the bills.

Chinhoyi Residents Association chairperson Clifford Hlupeko said they engaged the town clerk and financial director.

“The obtaining economic environment does not support this consideration. The disposable income has been eroded by inflation.We have urged the council to reduce bills which are now affecting business so as to strike a win-win situation.

“They  (the town clerk and finance director) promised to look into it as a matter of urgency,” Hlupeko said.

Chinhoyi Council spokesperson Tichaona Mlauzi was adamant saying they did not increase rates but they are implementing what was approved in the budget.

“We did not increase water tariffs but the council resolved on July 7,  2022 to charge in United States dollars using prevailing interbank rate as was approved in the January 2022 budget” Mlauzi said.