City of Johannesburg will host billing open days to enable residents to resolve billing issues.
The first was held on August 12 in Emmarentia and the open day will be replicated in all regions.
The day included presentations on how the city plans to fix the billing crisis and exhibitions by various departments and municipal entities.
The city’s stakeholder manager Lesego Ngobeni said the open days will be held in all regions as the city aims to reduce the backlog of incorrect accounts in its SAP system.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance Clr Rabelani Dagada said the billing open days are designed to rectify anomalies in municipal accounts and help the city improve its customer database.
Dagada said there are countless property owners who should be paying for municipal services but are not doing so.
“We urge them to come forward so we can remedy their billing issues,” said Dagada.
He said billing open days will give ratepayers a platform to interact with revenue front-line staff who will assist them to remedy or update their municipal accounts.
“This is also a chance for all stakeholders to take up their concerns with senior management in the city who will ensure each account receives the desired attention,” he said.
The open days are expected to improve relations between the municipality and its ratepayers.
“We expect ratepayers to come out in droves so city officials can assist them to resolve long-standing billing issues”.
Dagada said the exercise is also tailored to help ratepayers reduce their debt with the city.
Ngobeni said the desired outcome of the billing open day is to compile an accurate indigent register, introduce mechanisms to improve billing and revenue collection and improve the turnaround time for query resolution.
Dagada explained the billing crisis began when 16 independent councils amalgamated to form the City of Johannesburg some 17 years ago.
“When the previous administration upgraded its revenue collection software to streamline operations, the process was bungled, resulting in glitches in its roll-out. Customers began receiving inflated and inaccurate municipal accounts for rates and services. Resource mismanagement in the revenue department is also to blame for having perpetuated the crisis,” he said.
Ngobeni said this historical problem has since created a backlog in the operations of the revenue department.
The executive mayor, Clr Herman Mashaba took responsibility for the lingering crisis and committed himself to alleviate billing issues whilst curbing the city’s increasing debt.
“Since the new administration took office, work has continued in earnest to remedy all anomalies in the system. Going forward, the city will conduct a frequent audit of properties and meters, enforce consequence and performance management, recruit skilled and qualified professionals and implement the SAP system successfully,” said Ngobeni.
All corporate account holders and ratepayers who are 60 days or more in arrears, or have a query on their account, should attend the billing open day.
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