Community members not receiving municipal bills

Clr Penning, the DA’s spokesperson on finance and a Kensington resident, said several residents in the EXPRESS’ area have complained to him about not receiving their municipal bills regularly in the post.

To assess the magnitude of the problem, he wants residents to contact him.

“The council has made it possible for residents to receive their bills in several ways in an effort to save money and to ensure prompt delivery of the bills. With more and more people having access to the internet, this is the quickest and least costly method to receive a municipal bill. To register for e-mail delivery, the client is required to visit the Joburg website (www.joburg.org.za) and to click on e-services. One then clicks on ‘account by e-mail’ and enters the account number, identity number and the pin code shown on the municipal account.

“This method allows one to view the last 12 month’s bills and ensures the bill is e-mailed to you each month,” said Clr Penning.

He said the only disadvantage is if the customer pays in the old fashioned way at points that receive payments, the customer may have to print the account.

“Most scanners do not read the barcode on the printed account so the payment transaction takes a little longer,” he said.

Clr Penning said the next method is to send the bill via cellular phone.

He said while this method is also less costly and quicker than mailing, it has created problems.

According to him, residents are receiving bills by this method, despite not requesting it. Some do not have suitable cellular phones to open the accounts or do not know how to do so.

“When the method of sending bills by cellular phone was introduced about a year ago, the city assured councillors on the finance committee that the system they would use could determine whether an individual’s cellular phone could receive a bill by this method. Residents would also have the choice regarding the receipt of their accounts.

“This does not appear to have been done as promised. Many residents contact me every month saying they never opted for the cellular phone method, yet they are receiving the bill by this means and are unable to open them,” said Clr Penning.

“Many residents are simply not receiving their bills by any of the above methods and wish to get them by traditional mail. When this matter was repeatedly raised by me with city officials, the reply was usually that the accounts have been sent by mail and the problem must be with the post office,” he said.

To assess the magnitude of the problem, he requests residents who are not receiving bills to advise him by e-mail or sms. Send the account holder’s name, account number, full address to which it should be sent, cellular phone number, e-mail address and method of delivery preferred.

The responses should be sent to victorpenning@telkomsa.net for e-mails or the cellular phone number 079 501 7506 for sms’s only.

“The results of this survey will be sent to senior revenue officials at the city for processing.

“Should further information be required, I may be contacted on my cellular phone number,” said Clr Penning.

@JoziReporter