Harare loses billions in billing anomaly

More than 400 Harare City tenants have been using the local authority's commercial properties for free since 2009 when the country adopted a multi-currency regime, as it emerged last week that the leases had not been changed to the new transacting regime.

Millions of dollars in revenue are believed to have been lost as a result.

Although reasons for not amending the leases to United States dollars could not be immediately ascertained, it is widely believed that most of these properties were being leased by city officials or their proxies hence the reluctance to enforce payments.

Harare City has more than 10 000 commercial and residential properties and recently it issued out lease agreement cancellation notices to defaulting tenants collectively owing $4,5 million.