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Municipal tariffs set for major increases
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
October 15, 2007

Municipal tariffs are set for a major increase by the end of this month. This follows government's decision to allow local authorities to increase tariffs as planned in their budgets for the year 2007. This means that residents must brace for up to 3000 percent increases as government backtracks on its price control mechanism. The increases are effective end of October and backdated to September.

In an apparent policy reversal, Partson Mbiriri, the Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, recently wrote to all provincial administrators informing them that all councils had been allowed to effect tariff increases proposed in their budgets for this year. One of the parastatals ZINWA has already increased tariffs leading to residents receiving ballooned bills of between $4 million and $25 million. School fees and other basic commodity prices have been allowed to increases as the prices and incomes commission eats a humble pie.

CHRA advises all residents to be on the alert for the upcoming tariffs increases in all Urban Municipal areas. During these increases, unsuspecting residents are usually overcharged by District offices. In the City of Harare the tariff increases remain illegal as the budget that proposed them was unlawfully formulated. Residents are urged to boycott payments as the increases are illegal.

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