National News

Slow progress in LCC K8.6bn debt collection

 

Lilongwe City Council (LCC) says it is not impressed with the progress it is making towards collecting city rates which property owners owe it.

In an interview on Tuesday, LCC public relations officer Tamara Chafunya said the city council is owed around K8.6 billion (about $12.86million) in rates, which is making it fail to effectively deliver services.

Chafunya: We are failing to deliver services
Chafunya: We are failing to deliver services

She cited keeping the city clean, effecting timely settlement of utility bills for urban primary schools, street lighting, maintaining city roads and cutting of grass as some of the activities that require finances.

“This has prompted us to issue notices through print and electronic media, reminding property owners, in particular the defaulters to consider effecting timely payment of the rates,” said Chafunya.

She said the council is waiting for the “no objection” approval from the Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP) to finalise  the process of hiring external debt collectors to help them catch defaulters.

In an interview, councillor Desmond Bikoko of Chigoneka Ward commended the council for trying to collect city rates. He described the initiative as overdue. n

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