Harare City Council Proposes 300% Rise In Charges For Water, Refuse, Etc

Harare City Council yesterday presented a ZW$483 million supplementary budget which will see a 300% rise in charges for water, refuse collection, clamping fees, tow-away and burial space, among other services.

Presenting the supplementary budget at a special council meeting, the finance committee chairperson, Councillor Luckson Mukunguma, said:

The current supplementary budget should not be viewed as an attempt by council to increase tariffs; it is rather an attempt to align to the new economic order given full implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and the introduction of the local currency as the only legal tender in Zimbabwe.

Below are the proposed charges for:

(1). Water: High-density residential areas:

• ZW$2,80 from ZW$0,83 (for 1-10 cubic meters)
• ZW$3,13 from ZW$0,93 (for 11-20 cubic meters)
• ZW$4,20 from ZW$1,20 (for anything above 20 cubic meters).

For those on prepaid:

• ZW$3,50 from ZW$1,20 (for high-density areas)
• ZW$4 from ZW$1,50 to (for low-density areas).

(2). Tow-away fees:

• ZW$700 from ZW$60

(3). Clamping fees:

• ZW$500 from ZW$40

(4). Ambulance fees:

• ZW$50 from ZW$20

(5). Refuse collection:

• ZW$19,50 from ZW$6,50 (per week for those in high-density areas).
• ZW$428,50 from ZW$9,5 (per week for those in low-density areas).

The city’s new proposed total budget for this year would be ZW$829,86 million up from the initial budget of ZW$346,59 million tabled in November 2018.

The local authority has often cited inadequacy of financial and technical resources as some of the major hindrances to effective service delivery. The council has been found wanting in many areas particularly water provision, refuse collection and sewer reticulation.

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