News / National
Businesses urged to spruce up properties
14 Jul 2015 at 21:02hrs | Views
Property owners around the city must make efforts to spruce up their properties to enhance Harare City's vision of regaining the sunshine city status by 2025 a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking during the official launch of the Property Owners Association of Zimbabwe [POAZ], Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere urged property owners to renew their properties and utilise the available space and charge affordable rates to accommodate SMEs.
"As the minister responsible for Local Government I urge all of you to renew your properties as a way of giving Harare in particular a face lift and other cities in general.
"Space is a limited commodity as such I encourage adoption of the policy of densification," he said.
He encouraged other associations to embrace the vision of POAZ in thriving to match the development of their cities in line with world class standards which promote all types of business.
The meeting was meant to bring all property owners and developers to come up with ideas to build the city.
"Government and local authority are making frantic efforts to avail land for SMEs infrastructure development since industries and companies have closed shop due to a myriad of economic challenges the country is going through which has seen a number of industries leaving redundant properties.
"The adverse effect of this phenomenon is failure by property owners to pay rates license fees which are sources of revenue for local authorities," he said.
Minister Kasukuwere also called on property owners who are failing to pay rates and licenses to avail their structures for use by SMEs as a way of reducing the accumulation of debts owed to local authorities.
"I am glad that Old Mutual together with the City of Harare has since taken the lead by availing properties shopping centre for use by SMEs at reasonable economic rates," he said.
Speaking during the official launch of the Property Owners Association of Zimbabwe [POAZ], Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere urged property owners to renew their properties and utilise the available space and charge affordable rates to accommodate SMEs.
"As the minister responsible for Local Government I urge all of you to renew your properties as a way of giving Harare in particular a face lift and other cities in general.
"Space is a limited commodity as such I encourage adoption of the policy of densification," he said.
He encouraged other associations to embrace the vision of POAZ in thriving to match the development of their cities in line with world class standards which promote all types of business.
The meeting was meant to bring all property owners and developers to come up with ideas to build the city.
"Government and local authority are making frantic efforts to avail land for SMEs infrastructure development since industries and companies have closed shop due to a myriad of economic challenges the country is going through which has seen a number of industries leaving redundant properties.
"The adverse effect of this phenomenon is failure by property owners to pay rates license fees which are sources of revenue for local authorities," he said.
Minister Kasukuwere also called on property owners who are failing to pay rates and licenses to avail their structures for use by SMEs as a way of reducing the accumulation of debts owed to local authorities.
"I am glad that Old Mutual together with the City of Harare has since taken the lead by availing properties shopping centre for use by SMEs at reasonable economic rates," he said.
Source - BH24
