By JOHN SAKALA
Kafubu Water and Sanitation Company KWSC on the Copper belt is owed over K100 million in unpaid utility bills by customers in its areas of operations.
KWSC has over 65, 000 customers spread in three towns namely of Ndola, Luanshya and Masaiti.
Company Managing Director Engineer Anthanasius Mwaba has further disclosed that the Advent of Covid 19 has reduced the collection of revenue by the firm by 50 Percent.
And Mr Mwaba said despite the fall in revenue at the firm, KWSC has continued supplying safe and clean water to its clients.
“I want to urge all our customers to meet their obligations on time and pay their bills in full. As a company, we gave a big responsibility to ensure that we provide safe and clean drinking water to all our customers. Covid 19 has affected everyone, and we have seen a decline in our collections as a company.
“Despite all this, we have a duty to ensure that all our clients have constant supply of water. As a firm, we have to meet other obligations such as paying electricity bills, buying chemicals for our treatment plants and paying employee’s salaries. We therefore, urge our clients to use all available platforms to clear their debt. However, clients have an opportunity to clear their debt on time so that they keep us afloat as a utility as we provide the much needed water and sewerage services to them, ” he said.
On Monday, Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection Minister Raphael Nakachinda urged all citizens to promptly settle their bills with utility firms or face mass disconnections because water is one of the critical reasons in fighting the Corona virus pandemic.
Mr Nakachinda said the Government was disappointed that its decision and gesture to temporarily suspend water disconnection exercises dye to the effects of Covid 19 was not appreciated but abused by some citizens.
