Outjo offers residents 50% off debts

THE Municipality of Outjo has introduced a 50% discount off amounts residents may owe the town.

Bokkas Mazenge, municipal spokesperson, yesterday said the Outjo Town Council decided to provide residents with this relief at a meeting in July.

The discount is valid from September until the end of November, and is applicable to residents who manage to pay off their municipality debts before the end of November.

Outjo residents owe the municipality N$43 million in total, Mazenge said.

“The residents of Outjo do pay their monthly municipal bills on time, but the pandemic has affected the council’s revenue as some residents only pay a limited amount,” Mazenge said.

He said the discount will allow residents to clear their outstanding accounts and proceed on a clean slate.

The municipality has previously also given residents a discount and has written off some debts – particularly those of senior citizens.

Magreth Pieters, a former local authority councillor at Outjo, said the initiative is a good gesture, but added it should be implemented.

“Yesterday, some people approached me as they wanted to know more about the discount. It would be good if the municipality provided the community with more information. We don’t want things to be verbalised only,” Pieters said.

She said a group of pensioners is planning to meet municipal officials to seek more clarity.

She said the subsidy already offered to pensioners has only been instituted when individuals approach the municipality to have it arranged.

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