Illegal Binga lodges owners nabbed

26 May, 2014 - 20:05 0 Views

The Sunday News

SEVEN home owners in Binga have been arrested and fined for running unregistered lodges, after turning their star-graded posh houses into commercial accommodation facilities for tourists.
This follows a blitz by Binga Rural District Council on unregistered lodges and tourist facilities operating in the district.
The arrests are just a tip of the iceberg as several other owners with upmarket houses in Mlibizi have turned their houses into hospitality homes without registering with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and the local authority.

According to Binga RDC authorities, the home owners discouraged foreign tourists from lodging in designated tourist facilities by offering them lodgings at their posh houses at rates lower than those being charged by registered lodges.

In an interview, Binga RDC chief executive officer Mr Joshua Muzamba said the seven homeowners who were arrested were just a fraction of a significant number of property owners in the district who were unlawfully housing tourists.

Mr Muzamba said it was difficult for the local authority to contain the illegal lodge operators as the homeowners were well-organised in concealing their operations.

“We are aware that there are well to do people who are using their houses as lodges here in Binga but especially in Mlibizi. The ferry service from Kariba ends in Mlibizi. We had to carry out raids to flush out such elements but it’s difficult because most of them are well organised. The few we have caught, we caught them because their workers had tipped us off,” he said.

Mr Muzamba added that the illegal lodges were robbing the local authority of a lot of revenue.
Binga RDC levies lodges 15 percent of the total monthly revenue.

“We are losing a lot of revenue because of that but we are putting in place a strategy to hit them hard to discourage them from operating illegal lodges. We have a plan to audit and investigate suspected houses. Currently we just fine and invoice those we catch in the act,” said Mr Muzamba.

“We get 15 percent from the gross income made by registered lodges, so you can see that these illegal lodges are robbing the local authority of much needed revenue which could assist in the development of Binga.

“We do not deny those house owners the opportunity to run hospitality homes but we urge them to register and be licensed. If they continue operating outside the system we will hit them hard.”

Mr Muzamba said by running unregistered lodges, the home owners were contravening council by-laws as well as the Tourism Act.
The Tourism Act states that: “any designated tourist facility is required to be registered or graded, no person shall conduct or operate that designated tourist facility unless it is so registered or graded, as the case may be. Any person who contravenes the Act shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level six or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”

ZTA spokesperson Mr Sugar Chagonda said the unregistered home hospitality operators were breaking the law and evading tax, in the process prejudicing the country of revenue.

Mr Chagonda commended Binga RDC for raiding the illegal lodges saying ZTA would soon engage the ZRP on a nationwide blitz on unregistered tourist facilities.

He said lodge operators found on the wrong side of the law would face prosecution and have their facilities closed.
“What they are doing is criminal and unfortunate. As the Government we encourage homeowners who want to turn their houses into hospitality homes to register with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).

“We urge such people to register their facilities with ZTA so that they remit levies and pay taxes because the law is bound to catch up with them.

“Much as we encourage tourism growth, all tourist facilities should operate within the law and be registered so as to protect the operators and the tourists in case something happens,” he said.

“We would like to commend Binga RDC for being proactive and taking action on these illegal home hospitality operators. ZTA will soon join forces with the police on a nationwide blitz on unregistered lodges, hotels and other tourist facilities.”

Home hospitality has been on the rise in Zimbabwe especially during national and international holidays that bring in guests from different parts of the country and the world.

The shortage of hospitality facilities during such events has often created opportunities for homeowners to let out their houses to visitors.
During the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo last month, all lodges and hotels in the city were fully booked and homeowners made a killing by offering accommodation to guests attending the five-day event.

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