5 days ago
eThekwini Municipality achieves record 95% revenue collection rate
eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba
Image: eThekwini Municipality / Facebook
The revenue collection rate in the eThekwini Municipality has surged to about 95%.
The municipality expressed its satisfaction with the revenue collection rate recorded at the end of June, noting that this is the highest increase in five years and falls within National Treasury norms.
Mayor Cyril Xaba attributed the success to targeted revenue enhancement strategies that the City has implemented. He vowed to continue putting pressure on the administration to ensure that the City does not regress on the current collection rate.
'Revenue collection is the engine behind expanding services. We must ensure that the spirit of the Masakhane Campaign lives among our communities by encouraging people to pay for services,' said Xaba.
Among the revenue enhancement strategies championed by Mayor Xaba is the 50% debt write-off programme, which ended in June.
The ongoing deceased estate debt write-off initiative and the migration of meter reading from line directorates (water and electricity) to the Revenue Directorate also form part of the revenue enhancement strategies.
The migration of meter reading has assisted in addressing the challenge of estimated bills, as meters are now being read regularly, and customers are paying for the monthly services they have consumed.
Meter reading in the City has improved to the extent that only 12% and 20% of water and electricity bills are estimated, respectively.
One of the reasons contributing to some meters not being read includes a lack of access to properties.
Xaba encouraged residents to use the Municipal App to upload their meter readings monthly so they can be billed for the services they have consumed.
'We have made technology available to our customers to make their lives easier. While our officials will continue to read meters, customers must also play their part,' said the mayor.
He called on officials to expedite investigations in cases where customers complain about irregular spikes in their water and electricity bills.
'I am happy that the Revenue Directorate is dispatching technicians to recalibrate or change faulty meters so that residents are billed correctly,' said the mayor.
He added that he was pleased that the order for electricity meters will be delivered by the end of next month.
'This will assist us in ensuring that all properties are properly metered, and the City can start collecting revenue from them. Our main priority will be properties that have bypassed meters and those that have benefitted from the deceased estate debt write-off programme. We want all our customers to be connected to services legally and account for their monthly consumption,' said Xaba.
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