The City of Joburg is embarking on a campaign to send out monthly statements via sms and/ or mms.
An sms was sent out by the City informing residents of the changes. If a resident ignored the sms, the City sees it as acceptance. If the resident decides to opt out of the sms service, he/ she will receive a statement only once every three months by mail or e-mail.
The City’s motivation to do this is to take the environment into consideration by introducing a go-green initiative.
“The City’s intentions are admirable, but the DA is extremely concerned about fundamental issues that have not been addressed,” says DA spokesperson for Billing, Councillor Linus Muller.
“For one, the City’s billing system has not stabilised yet and the DA still fields many billing complaints on a daily basis. Another is that the roll-out is not done in phases and the City is opting for a ‘big bang’ approach.
“The City’s cellphone database is also questioned as many residents have not received the introduction sms. At this stage there are more answers than questions and my specific concerns sent to the MMC for Finance, ANC Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo have not been addressed,” says a concerned Muller.
If a resident wants to make sure that his/her preference for receiving statements is official, it is suggested that they contact Joburg Connect on 0860 JOBURG. Ask the agent to log a call and issue a reference number.
