2010-06-09: New processes to ensure sound solutions to ratepayers’ and customers’ problems
The City of Johannesburg is introducing new processes to ensure sound solutions to ratepayers' and customers' problems.
At the centre of these changes is the implementation of a new internal system for the integration of all information to ensure that customers' municipal bills are accurate, consolidated and up-to-date, user friendly - leading to enhanced customer care.
The initiative is aimed at improving the City's revenue management (or billing), customer relationship management (customer service functions), and also create a new systems and processes that will allow us to elevate the standard of service delivery within the Revenue & Customer Relations Department.
This will allow the City to have a single view of the customer, give the customer a single entry point into the City with one customer database on a common IT platform. While the system is being rolled out some customer's accounts may be affected by the changes.
There is a growing feeling amongst ordinary ratepayers that the complex backlog in query resolution challenges needs to be managed with a sense of urgency. The City has taken up this challenge and despite the current difficulties, it is moving to a future that ensures an improved quality of service to customers - resulting in the speedy resolution of queries.
The programme is currently engaged in the cleansing of the City's data which would enable the billing system to be much more accurate. This will result in an increase in the revenue collected in both current and arrear debts that previously accumulated due to inaccurate billing.
Current customer practices will change as a result of the new IT foundation. These changes include new billing dates, changes in meter reading dates, changes in invoicing dates, changes in banking details, issuing of refunds and clearances and changes in the sourcing of statements.
New initiatives will add many benefits in the way the City runs its business and to improve delivery on its mandate. It will also empower staff with technological capacity parallel to that of the best Cities in the world.
Consolidation of customer data across the City into a single customer database.
The consolidation of customer data across involves the development of a single, centralized customer database that will support the City and Municipal Owned Entities (MOEs) such as City Power, Joburg Water, Pikitup, Johannesburg Road Agency and Metrobus. Citizens will accordingly have one point of contact for all queries related to refuse, water, power, rates and taxes, bus service, roads requirements; and others.
Is the 'new system' behind the delay of the processing of rate clearance Certificates?
We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused. We do admit that there have been delays in issuing certain clearances while the City implements the new IT system. While it is implemented we also admit that some of our customers' accounts have been affected and that service at our Customer Service Centres has been impacted.
In addition to this, the City has experienced huge growth in property development in recent time which, while positive reflection of our economy, has added to the City's challenges.
Two of the most common issues are:
1. When a property owner sells a home and requires a clearance certificate to conclude the sale but cannot get a clearance certificate; and
2. When a consumer buys a home in a new development, the developer applies for a clearance certificate for properties in a new development or township and cannot get a clearance certificate.
When a property owner sells a home and requires a clearance Certificate
Transfer of ownership on a property deal cannot be done unless the property owner has settled all municipal accounts. This includes rates, electricity, water and sewer, and refuse accounts. Difficulties arise when applicants dispute the amounts reflected on our billing system. In such an event a query is raised with our service partners who are required to corroborate values or meter readings. Very often accounts are in arrears and the process is halted because all outstanding amounts plus the required deposits have to be paid before the City can issue the clearance certificate.
Sometimes clearance application forms are incomplete or contain conflicting data. This has to be corrected before a clearance certificate may be issued.
Common problems experienced with clearance certificates are:
" No valuation on the property requiring the involvement of the City's Valuations and Assessment Rates departments;
" Refuse (removal of solid waste) charges were not previously levied, resulting the involvement of Pikitup and the Valuation and Rates departments;
" Similarly, if there were no sewer/water and/or electricity charges, then Johannesburg Water and/or City Power must become involved.
What is the City doing to resolve this problem?
Some recent inaccuracies raised need to be addressed:
For the record, we received a complain from the JAA representing their members about queries in relation to the backlog in clearance certificates. We have investigated all the issues with all the role players within the City and the preliminary outcome shows that at no stage the City had 40 000 clearance certificates not issued since 1994.
On average we have about 2 000 at any given time outstanding. We have requested evidence of the list from the JAA of the alleged backlog and only 300 submissions were made to the City. But more than 50% had already been issued and the balance being resolved which reflected no need for escalations and misinformation by the JAA.
As with the implementation of any new IT system, it is expected to have teething problems. The City of Johannesburg has done everything in its power so far to ensure that customers are affected to the minimum.
To put issues into context, the City does not have a backlog of 40 000 clearances certificates as was recently claimed in the media. The allegations are factually incorrect, defamatory, and deliberately spread malicious untested stories on the City. For the year July 2009 to date the City received 40 002 clearance applications. About 33 987 of these applications were issued within 30 days of application. To date there are approximately 2 000 clearance applications outstanding which is not beyond the trend.
" About 2000 of clearance applications outstanding are delayed by outstanding figures from our service arms - Johannesburg Water, City Power, Pikitup, Valuations and Rates and Taxes. One account may require input from one, a few or all the said partners.
As indicated above, applications that are pending refer to clearance awaiting figures from the City's service arms once the following has been resolved:
1. Queries that are pending on the applications.
2. Incorrect information was provided by transferring attorneys.
3. Developers requested clearance certificates for properties that were built without following proper processes or by by-passing our Planning Department when these properties were built (especially where Town Planning has no sight of such developments and these properties are not in our billing system).
An internal task team was established to deal with all the outstanding queries that created bottlenecks relating to outstanding clearance certificates. We request our customers to exercise patience while we resolve these problems and queries during the change process that is in progress.
The City has invested time, money and personnel to achieve this milestone. It brings us closer to achieving improved revenue management, uniform practices and a one-stop shop for our customers.
Customers that have queries can log a query with Joburg Connect at (011) 375-5555 or email them at joburgconnect@joburg.org.zaThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the nearest Customer Service Centre.
Issued by:
Kgamanyane Maphologela
Deputy Director: Customer Communications
Revenue & Customer Relations Management Department
Phone: 011 628 4728
Fax: 011 358 3639
Cell: 083 589 3746
Email: stanmapho@joburg.org.za