Kiyapili Sibanda, Business Reporter
STATE-owned telecommunications operator, TelOne, says it expects to recover $165 million in arrears this year after adopting a door-to-door debt recovery strategy.

The firm is owed $271 million by different clients in the country including Government departments, and last year it managed to collect $123 million after an aggressive debt collection strategy.

“TelOne is currently owed $271 million by debtors who include Government, corporates and residential clients.

“The company was able to collect $123 million in 2016 and is targeting to collect $165 million in 2017,” the company’s corporate communications manager, Mrs Melody Harry, said.

She said the company has embraced use of plastic money throughout the country to collect money owed by debtors.

“TelOne has embraced the use of plastic money throughout Zimbabwe.

All our banking halls and staff that go  around collecting payments door-to-door from our owing customers are now having mobile Point Of Sale (POS) machines for immediate payments,” she said.

Mrs Harry said the use of mobile POS has brought convenience to their customers and helped assure them of collections despite cash shortages.

She also said TelOne was open to accepting payment terms on all outstanding amounts.

“We will also continue with other initiatives such as set-off arrangements and use of debt collectors to ensure all options are explored,” said Mrs Harry.

She said high debtors continue to be a cause for concern and efforts to collect outstanding dues were being hampered by the general decline in the economic environment with companies and households failing to settle their bills on time.

“We shall continue with the set-off arrangements that were put in place in 2013 for Government debt.

“To this end consistent engagement of Government will be done to ensure that this arrangement continues to work,” Mrs Harry said.

“For Corporates and Parastatals, TelOne is continuously engaging them and accepting payment plans.

“Households are also being engaged with payment plans accepted.

“Unfortunately, there are cases where the company is left with no option but using legal means to recover overdue amounts.”

In 2015, TelOne recovered $190 million and as of 2016, companies owed TelOne $92 million, private homes $83 million, Government $41 million, parastatals $36 million and local authorities $10.6 million.

— @Kiyaz_Cool

 

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