Bulawayo Halts Tax Hike Businesses Cheer

Bulawayo City Council decided to keep business property taxes at 2024 levels for another year. The council gave up more than 14 million dollars in potential revenue from the decision. City leaders chose not to raise commercial rates after talking with local business groups and residents. The government had approved a budget that would have increased business taxes by 127 percent. Business organizations asked for lower taxes instead of higher ones.

Finance Director Tennyson Mpunzi said the new rates would have hurt local companies. Representatives from business groups met with council members to discuss the problem. The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce helped lead these talks. Council members voted to maintain current tax levels rather than burden struggling businesses. The decision protects jobs and keeps companies operating in the city.

Local resident Andrew Ndlovu praised the council for putting people first. He said raising taxes would have damaged the business environment and cost jobs. The council collected 62 percent of bills sent to property owners during April. About 68,525 properties failed to pay their full amounts that month. Debt collection teams contacted over 63,000 consumers and recovered more than 3 million dollars.