Rate payers and debtors owing the municipality of Walvis Bay money in arrears have a chance now to start 2019 with a clean slate. An amnesty to have interest on arrears cancelled and for the capital debt to be settled has been declared and is applicable retro-spectively since 1 December. The amnesty period expires on 30 April 2019.

The municipality of Walvis Bay confirmed the amnesty earlier this week, following a recommendation passed in this regard by Council on Tuesday, during its last council meeting for the year.
“Very often our customers struggle to pay their municipal debts for various reasons. These unproductive debts accumulate huge amounts of interest and the situation spirals out of control for many customers. At the end, Council’s debt book is inflated with debts that have a very minimal chance of collection. Interest on outstanding amounts is one of the main contributing factors to this debt”, reads the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.
Council further states that in order to assist customers, the amnesty period is declared. In fact, this is the fourth amnesty period since 2014, according to statistics provided in the agenda. During the first three periods a total of N$2 465 034-90 in interest was written off and the capital debts settled.