Administrators instruct Tshwane metro finance department to probe billing system

Tshwane administrator Mpho Nawa said the team of administrators had instructed the finance department of the metro to probe the system, Pretoria Rekord reports.

“We are looking into the matter, I have received a lot of complaints from residents complaining of incorrect billing. This led to us instructing the department to look into the system and see if there was anything wrong,” Nawa said.

“We are definitely feeling the pressure, residents can rest assured that we are looking into the matter.”Nawa said the metro was also looking into developing a better system to facilitate billing that could “reduce” billing mistakes.

“We did not anticipate that things will get this bad but we are looking as to what the problem might be.”

Nawa said the management would receive a report from the finance department this week.

Contrary to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call in March that there should be no load shedding/power cuts, the Tshwane metro under level 2 forged ahead with cutting power for residents who were in “arrears”.

This saw hundreds of residents flooding to the various metro credit control offices with hardly any social distancing in place.

Nawa said the move to implement cut-offs was to ensure economic restart for the metro.

“Yes, the President did announce that at the beginning of the lockdown, however, we must note that as we entered into new lockdown levels the resumption of the economy was set in place and this was the same as for the city. It was mainly done to ensure revenue collection for the metro so we may be able to render services.”

On the lack of social distancing at some of the metro’s credit control offices, Nawa said the metro had not ‘“anticipated” to have such a large number at the offices.

“It is quite a sensitive time and I think to respond to this, the metro should improve its online programmes responding to complaints so that we do not have many people in the same place, a system to attend to complaints while people are in the comfort of their homes.”

“The TMPD is also assisting us in trying to keep social distancing.”

This as over the past two weeks residents made their way to the credit-control offices to make payment arrangements while other lounged complaints of incorrect billing.