Faulty meters give 4 000 households free electricity
At least 4 000 households at Rehoboth have been receiving free electricity because of defective meters the town council's financial manager, Zeino Theron has confirmed.
At a community meeting last Sunday, Theron also said more revenue was lost because of illegal electricity connections.
The council's chief executive officer Simeon Kanime said they managed to reduce the town's NamWater bill from N$30 million three years ago to N$3 million by January this yeaar.
He added that the NamPower bill remained excessively high at N$120 million.
Theron also informed the community that their financial statements to the auditor-general were behind schedule but the statements for 2016 had been audited.
Theron told residents that the council would soon announce an amnesty to allow residents to make arrangements for settling their debts.
He emphasised that the law does not allow them to write off municipal debt.
The council management also informed residents that they had awarded a tender of N$4.4 million for water and sewerage installations, as well as one of N$2.9 million for upgrading the water and sewerage systems.
Another N$3.1 million tender was awarded for the upgrading of sewage pumps as well as a tender for refuse removal, which costs N$330 000 per month.
Meanwhile, a report compiled by ministerial representative Nathalia /Goagoses, who was appointed as interim supervisor after the council was suspended, showed council's biggest challenge is its financial situation.
/Goagoses left the council late last year.
The report states that 2 500 new erven were partly surveyed but could not be serviced because of a lack of funding.
The council has submitted the sale of 51 erven for ministerial approval, which may bring in N$1.1 million.
Another revenue collection headache is the non-payment of rent on townlands occupied by about 400 families, with an average of 18 families per camp.
“Several attempts to recover outstanding debt have proven futile. Tenants are not responding to notices served on them, nor do they visit the office to make payment arrangements. Currently 135 illegal occupants were identified,” the report read.
[email protected]
JEMIMA BEUKES
At a community meeting last Sunday, Theron also said more revenue was lost because of illegal electricity connections.
The council's chief executive officer Simeon Kanime said they managed to reduce the town's NamWater bill from N$30 million three years ago to N$3 million by January this yeaar.
He added that the NamPower bill remained excessively high at N$120 million.
Theron also informed the community that their financial statements to the auditor-general were behind schedule but the statements for 2016 had been audited.
Theron told residents that the council would soon announce an amnesty to allow residents to make arrangements for settling their debts.
He emphasised that the law does not allow them to write off municipal debt.
The council management also informed residents that they had awarded a tender of N$4.4 million for water and sewerage installations, as well as one of N$2.9 million for upgrading the water and sewerage systems.
Another N$3.1 million tender was awarded for the upgrading of sewage pumps as well as a tender for refuse removal, which costs N$330 000 per month.
Meanwhile, a report compiled by ministerial representative Nathalia /Goagoses, who was appointed as interim supervisor after the council was suspended, showed council's biggest challenge is its financial situation.
/Goagoses left the council late last year.
The report states that 2 500 new erven were partly surveyed but could not be serviced because of a lack of funding.
The council has submitted the sale of 51 erven for ministerial approval, which may bring in N$1.1 million.
Another revenue collection headache is the non-payment of rent on townlands occupied by about 400 families, with an average of 18 families per camp.
“Several attempts to recover outstanding debt have proven futile. Tenants are not responding to notices served on them, nor do they visit the office to make payment arrangements. Currently 135 illegal occupants were identified,” the report read.
[email protected]
JEMIMA BEUKES
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