Luwingu council for plots

–The cash strapped Luwingu District Council in the Northern Province has revised charges for town plots and application forms with immediate effect.

 

According to a public notice signed for Council Secretary, Raphael Zulu, by Albert Chungu and made available to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Luwingu today, plot charges have increased by over 67 per cent.

 

“Notice is hereby given to the general public that Luwingu District Council, being the planning authority, has revised the charges for town plots and application forms with immediate effect,” read the notice in part.

 

The revised charges include commercial big, commercial small, special user and churches. Others are high cost, medium cost, low cost and small holding.

 

According to the notice, commercial big plots charges have been increased from the previously K5, 000 to K7, 500, commercial small from K1, 500 to K3, 500, while special user from K10, 000 to K20, 000.

 

Others are Churches from K2, 500 to K3, 500, high cost plots from K5, 000 to K7, 500, medium cost K2, 500 to K5, 000, low cost from K1, 300 to K2, 500, and  changes for small holding still at k10, 000.

 

The council has also increased the charges for interviews with immediate effect from K100 to K300 for high cost plots, medium cost plots from K100 to K250, low cost from K100 to K200, commercial big from K100 to K450 with special user from k100 to K1000 and small holding from K100 to K1, 500.

 

Meanwhile, civil servants, who are the most dependable developers in Luwingu district, have condemned the council management, saying there was no justification for them to increase charges because government has refused to increase salaries and wages for public workers.

 

Some workers, who stormed Zambia News and Information Services, said the council should consult other stakeholders before coming with any issue of public concern because by so doing the council was fighting the Patriotic Front Government.

 

Meanwhile division four council workers have not been paid their five months’ salaries and wages despite receiving instructions from Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister, Forrie Tembo, to pay the workers immediately.

 

Mr Tembo instructed the council management to quickly pay council workers using the funds realized from the hire of earth-moving equipment from the contractor engage to work on Chepeshi-Shimumbi Road.

 

He told Luwingu District Council management that he would not take kindly to council’s failure to pay its workers their salaries and wages.

 

Mr Tembo said there was no justification for the council to fail to pay its workers when government took up the responsibility to pay salaries for workers falling in salary scales from division one to division three.