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[QUOTE="Shamiso, post: 83662, member: 160"]
Harare's trying to get people to pay up by offering a discount. The city announced that ratepayers could see their bills cut by twenty percent for clearing outstanding balances during a limited period. Mayor Jacob Mafume stated the goal is to boost revenue, which he called essential for basic services. The municipality is apparently owed over ZWG 8.4 billion, with residents responsible for most of that debt.

This massive shortfall has cratered service delivery. Mafume noted recent performance metrics averaged just fifty-two percent, far below acceptable standards for a capital. To encourage payment, the city will also give extra benefits for settlements made in foreign currency. Loyalty points and account credits are on the table for customers with zero balances.

The mayor acknowledged economic pressures on households, mentioning school fees and other costs. He warned leaseholders, however, that the council would enforce agreements and pursue evictions for non-compliance. A separate penalty-free window was opened for developers to get unapproved building plans formally authorized.

Officials plan to implement a new system called BIQ to improve billing and transparency. The enterprise resource planning software is intended to overhaul municipal operations.
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