Kalulushi Municipal council has reduced rates and levies on all mine properties to enable Mining Companies to honour their payments.
The Council’s Public relations officer Silvia Chileshe said the council decided to reduced rate Levies on all mine properties which was the only reliable revenue for the district.
Mrs Chileshe said this decision was arrived at after the Council expressed concern that the mines could close any time as, due to the global economic melt down.
She said the idea came after the full council meeting last week as most mining frames were pulling out and the council felt the only way was to reduce rate levies and try to work on other properties to sustain it.
She said the council was now looking at other revenue such as industrial , commercial and residential where it could get revenue apart from the mines.
Mrs Chileshe said the reduced rate levies for mining properties where from 0.02 to 0.015 and the rates for industrial properties 0.010 to 0.01 Kwacha.
She told ZANIS in an interview in Kalulushi today that the rates were reduced so that people in the residential areas could manage to pay hence reduced from 0.006 to 0.004 Kwacha.
Mrs Chileshe said the tribunal would sit any time this year to determine whether the rates the council reduced were pleasant and also get people’s objectives.
She however, said the council also allocated 636 plots in chibuluma and south Kalengwa area to members of the public .
She said the council decided to allocate plots along the south kalengwa after been removed from the north kalengwa area which they got illegally.
ZANIS/EZ/ENDS/MM
someone is doing their math
At least something positive from the mines. I hope others follow.
but shouldn’t these companies still pay the owed rates? isn’t it criminal for them not to? the CEO’s walk away with the cash he miners with their picks, gumboots and overalls! the govt remains to deal with polluted land.