Over 1 000 Ondangwa residents benefit from council debt relief programme

A total of 1 062 account holders have benefited from the Ondangwa Town Council's debt incentive programme since October last year. The council has written off N.dollars 26.5 million in interest since the start of the programme in October last year, Ondangwa Town Council spokesperson, Petrina Shitalangaho-Mutikisha said in an interview with Nampa on Friday. The programme ends next month. Shitalangaho-Mutikisha indicated that residents' outstanding debt currently stands at N.dollars 64 million. 'The outstanding debts have increased substantially due to the economic downturn coupled with the severe effects of Covid-19,' she said. She further added that the council has taken note of the fact that some residents have lost their income as businesses have closed down or retrenched their employees, limiting households' disposable income. Residents' ability to pay for municipal services has also been affected. Shitalangaho-Mutikisha stressed that the programme is still running and is applicable to all account ho lders classified as domestic (residential), commercial (business and industrial), non-profit organisations, community-based organisations, churches, and private institutions. She however emphasised that it does not apply to government offices, ministries and agencies. Source : The Namibia News Agency