BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has announced that it will be introducing a new United States dollar-based billing system starting next month, while invoices will now be in foreign currency.
Council finance chairperson councillor Tawanda Ruzive told Southern Eye that they have also decided as a department to switch their accounts to foreign currency.
“What we have decided to do as finance is to change all our accounts into United States dollars (US$). Yes, a person will be paying at the rate of the day,” Ruzive said.
He said the local authority had realised that continuing charging rates in the Zimbabwean dollar, which is losing value, has given them a headache.
Ruzive said their billing system would be in US dollars and residents and ratepayers’ invoices would be in foreign currency, although they would choose the currency they want to use to pay bills.
“So, ... we have changed our charging system to US dollars. So, people will now be getting invoices in US dollar form, but not to say everyone is expected to pay in foreign currency. Those who were paying RTGS will continue to pay in that form,” Ruzive said.
Bulawayo United Residents Association chairperson Winos Dube recently said the water billing system needed to be reviewed because residents were complaining about it.
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