Johannesburg – Harare City Council has increased its fees for clamping and towing vehicles by 1000 percent following the approval of a supplementary budget.
Thursday’s budget approval means motorists will now be charged $500 (R7000) for wheel-clamping of light vehicles, up from $40 (R550), while tow-away fees have been raised from $60 (R800) to $700 (R9700), Pindula News reported on Friday.
Chairman of the financial and development committee Councillor Luckson Mukunguma, presenting the $829.86 million supplementary budget, said the hike in prices should not be viewed as an attempt by council to increase tariffs but rather an attempt to align with the new economic order, incorporating full implementation of Zimbabwe’s Stabilisation Programme and the introduction of local currency as the only legal tender.
In other fee increases, maternity fees have been raised from $25 (R350) to $120 (R1600), while hospital fees are now $50 (R700) for adults and $25 (R335) for children.
Refuse collection has risen by 300 percent, water charges by at least 300 percent while other services have also spiked.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Zimbabwe will require $34 billion over the next decade to restore its road, rail, aviation, energy, ICT and water and sanitation infrastructure to proper working condition, according to the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) principal country economist, Walter Odero.
Odero made his remarks while speaking at the launch of the 2019 Zimbabwe Infrastructure Flagship Report in Harare on Thursday.
African News Agency (ANA)