The Harare City Council (HCC) has proposed a US$1 emergency services levy per household to fund the city’s struggling emergency services, along with another US$1 levy for street lighting.
During the presentation of the 2025 budget proposal, Finance and Development Committee chair Councillor Costa Mande said that the city currently has only four functional ambulances, despite needing 32. Said Mande:
Our emergency services require urgent capacitation. Out of a requirement of 32 ambulances, only four are functional.
To this effect, we are proposing the introduction of emergency services and street lighting levies in the 2025 fiscal year to augment funding.
Households will be charged US$1 as an emergency services levy and US$1 as a street lighting levy. An emergency services levy is a crucial financial tool which will provide a dedicated source of revenue to fund essential emergency services.
He said the street lights levy will create a dedicated revenue stream for installing street lighting infrastructure.
Mande added that the lack of resources is worsened by customers’ unwillingness to pay.
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