Harare Owed $17 Billion By Ratepayers

Harare City Council (HCC) said that it is owed ZW$17 billion in unpaid rents, rates, and other supplementary municipal charges by government departments, businesses and residents.

The local authority has warned that it will blacklist defaulters so that they will not be able to open accounts and borrow from banks. The City of Harare said in a tweet:

Dear Residents, Council is blacklisting individuals, companies, and their directors for non-payment of municipal bills.

Blacklisted entities and individuals will not open accounts and borrow from banks. The council is owed ZW$17 billion. Pay your bills to rebuild Harare.

As of last year, properties in high-density suburbs owed the city ZW$1.03 billion, while low-density suburbs carried a ZW$1.5 billion.

Industrial or commercial properties owed the City of Harare ZW$3,1 billion, while the government owed the city fathers ZW$191 million.

Over the years, residents have been complaining about HCC’s failure to provide basic services such as clean running water and refuse collection but the local authority says its operations are being hindered by ratepayers’ failure to pay bills.

More: NewZimbabwe.com