ZESA writes off debts

Power utility company ZESA has announced a $170 million debt relief for domestic customers and resettled and rural farmers.

ZESA says the debt relief to customers was devised after extensive consultations with farmers' representatives and other stakeholders as a way of contributing to the general economic recovery and success of the agrarian reform in anticipation of the new planting season.

The power utility company says it will write off debts to the total of $80 million targeted at resettled and rural farmers and $90 million to domestic customers.

All domestic customers will also benefit from a $160 debt relief per household.

ZESA says all the customer bills will be adjusted proportionally and the figures will reflect on the October 2013 bills.

The power utility company says it will also continue to install prepaid meters on all farms with a capacity of up to 50kva while all farmers with a power capacity higher than 50kva will be put on prepaid meters.

For those customers' already on prepaid meters and without debt, ZESA says equivalent amounts will be credited to them in units.