Maria David
IN an effort to relieve residents of their debts owed to the Ondangwa Town Council, a total of 1,062 municipal accounts have benefited from the debt relief incentives since the beginning of the program.
Town spokesperson Petrina Shitalangaho-Mutikisha said that the Council has thus far written off N$26.5 million in interest, with the remaining Council debts now standing at N$64 million.
According to Shitalangaho-Mutikisha, the Council introduced the debt relief program in October of last year, which will conclude next month.
“The Council’s debts have increased rapidly due to the economic downturn coupled with the severe effects of COVID-19,” she said.
She added that the Council has taken note that some residents have lost their employment and income, businesses have closed or retrenched employees, limiting households’ disposable incomes and purchasing power, and in turn, residents’ ability to pay for municipal services in full.
Shitalangaho-Mutikisha said that the program is still running and is applicable to all account holders classified as domestic (residential), commercial (business and industrial), non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, churches, and private institutions.
However, she mentioned that the initiative is not applicable to government offices, ministries, and agencies (OMAs), including state-owned enterprises.
She then called on residents to ensure that they take advantage of the initiative and register their accounts before the due date.
