30/08/2017: City continues drive to nullify billing crisis
The City of Johannesburg will once again replicate its frontline services at the doorsteps of ratepayers in a bid to nullify lingering billing issues.
The second instalment of the City’s #BillingOpenDay will be held at the Parkmore Recreation Centre in Region E – including Sandton, Woodmead, Wynberg and surrounding suburbia – on Saturday, 2 September 2017.
All ratepayers with longstanding billing woes are invited to this #BillingOpenDay to enable the current administration a platform to resolve outstanding queries, whilst assisting customers to reduce or remedy their municipal debt.
“The first #BillingOpenDay of the current administration got off to a good start with minor hiccups, which have given us invaluable experience in staging upcoming initiatives. We're confident the Billing crisis will be nullified by this time next year," says the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance, Dr Rabelani Dagada.
On the day, a fully-fledged multi-disciplinary City of Johannesburg billing team, consisting of meter readers, the Back Office personnel, billing and invoicing, Customer Interface, Property Unit, Pikitup and credit management, will be deployed to assist customers.
“The City uses the #BillingOpenDay initiative as a last measure for consolidating resources in an effort to resolve longstanding billing queries. This allows us to be proactive in dealing with lingering billing woes,” says MMC Dagada.
Ratepayers in Region E should bring along the following documents to the #BillingOpenDay to enable the City to rectify lingering billing woes.
For General Enquiries:
• Municipal account number
• City of Johannesburg Reference Number for logged (existing) query
FOR PENSIONER REBATE APPLICATIONS:
• Certified copy of your South African ID
• Certified copy of your pensioner card
• City of Johannesburg statement
• Proof of income
• Three months bank statements
• Proof of ownership
FOR EXPANDED SOCIAL PACKAGE (ESP) APPLICATIONS:
• Certified copy of South African ID
• Proof of income
• Three months bank statement or an affidavit
• City of Johannesburg statement
• City Power account/pre-paid meter card or meter number
• Eskom account/ prepaid electricity card or meter number
• Joburg Water account/prepaid water meter number
• SASSA Card
Given the backlog in the resolution of incorrect municipal accounts, the City expects scores of ratepayers to attend this #BillingOpenDay. In order to accommodate the large volumes, contingency measures, including a queue management system will be in effect on Saturday to ensure customers are assisted promptly.
Similar initiatives will be held in all quadrants of the municipality in upcoming months, as the current administration accelerates the resolution of incorrect municipal accounts on its SAP system.
All corporate account holders and ratepayers in Region E who are 60 days or more in arrears or have a query on their account should attend this #BillingOpenDay.
The current administration believes remedying the billing crisis will enable the municipality to collect more revenue; this augurs well for the City’s expenditure plans on infrastructure and economic growth and overall improvement in the delivery of basic services.
Dagada notes that the City remains committed to fixing the billing crisis in a caring and responsive manner.
ENDS:
Issued by Councillor Dr Rabelani Dagada
MMC for Finance
City of Johannesburg
@Rabelani_Dagada
For media enquiries please contact:
Mr Lesego Ngobeni
Interim Stakeholder Manager and Spokesperson
Office of the MMC – Finance
Tel: (011) 628 – 4508 | Cell: 060 975 0928
E-mail: LesegoNg@joburg.org.za
