Bulawayo slashed its budget proposal by $4 million after getting roasted by hotels and businesses over toilet charges that were absolutely wrecking hospitality venues. The city originally wanted $224 million but backed down to $220 million when a hotel complained that charging $15 per water closet meant properties with hundreds of bathrooms were getting destroyed financially.
Council caved and changed the pricing structure, where anything over 10 toilets drops to $8.50 per unit, which saves hotels almost $2 million collectively. They had to make cuts elsewhere by freezing salary bumps, only filling 20 percent of job openings, and chopping travel expenses in half to balance everything out.
The whole mess started because residents and companies sent 107 complaint letters about water costs and sewage fees being way higher than what ministry officials had calculated earlier. Councillors voted to keep most other charges the same while giving the hospitality sector some breathing room on the bathroom tax.
Council caved and changed the pricing structure, where anything over 10 toilets drops to $8.50 per unit, which saves hotels almost $2 million collectively. They had to make cuts elsewhere by freezing salary bumps, only filling 20 percent of job openings, and chopping travel expenses in half to balance everything out.
The whole mess started because residents and companies sent 107 complaint letters about water costs and sewage fees being way higher than what ministry officials had calculated earlier. Councillors voted to keep most other charges the same while giving the hospitality sector some breathing room on the bathroom tax.
