Residents’ debt to BCC baloons to ZWL$97bn

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO 

Residents’ debt to the Bulawayo City Council (BCC)  ballooned to ZWL$97bn  from ZWL$18bn in January this year, Business Times can report.

This was revealed by BCC finance manager, Isaac Matare.

“The debt has grown from around ZWL$18bn  at the beginning of the year and now its around ZWL$97bn. If residents were able to pay us,  a lot of projects would have been completed, “ Matare said.

He claimed that due to financial difficulties, BCC was finding it difficult to carry out projects.

“We have been struggling to do all these projects using the (little) the residents are paying us. And it becomes very difficult to do everything that residents want us to perform.

“We are asking residents  to pay their debts,” said Matare.

A resident said : “The monthly bills are high, parking fees are high, and people can hardly pay their bills on time. We beg the council to consider the needs of the people when crafting budgets. We are affected by the same economy that affects you as the council.”

Tennyson Mpunzi, director of BCC finance, advised residents facing difficulties to approach council and suggest payment plans.

“We agree that we face the same challenges. We do have certain services and departments that are heavily subsidised. However, in cases where people cannot genuinely afford, they can come to the council direct and apply for grants that will assist them in terms of accessing some services, “Mpunzi said.