Harare residents urged to resist council move to make them sign payment plans

Harare Residents Trust has urged Harare residents to resist the move by the city council to push them to sign up payments plans over the bills they owe the local authority claiming that the figures they are said to be owing the council were not reasonable.

"Residents of Harare are urged to resist the temptation to escape their debts with the Harare City Council by simply signing up to the payment plans with the City Treasury Department," said the Trust.

"The figures being claimed by the City of Harare are not reflecting the true state of accounts, but exaggerated s a way of fundraising for huge salaries of senior management. The billing system is chaotic and is inconsistent."

The Trust said a resident receiving summons should not agree to enter into a payment plans because the council says so, but one must first establish the accuracy of the bills received from the council.

"One thing we have discovered is that the City Treasury officials are aware of residents' ignorance so they put in estimated figures in order to coerce residents to their offices and determine what must be paid monthly to clear the debt," said the Trust.

"That is wrong, because the bills are based on estimates owing to the continued manipulation of the BIQ billing system being used by the City of Harare. Reject payment plans without knowing what you owe the council."