In an attempt to fast-track property applications, Buffalo City Metro (BCM) has introduced a paperless system.
Property applications include property use changes, rezoning, lease management, new building plans, sub-divisions, the sale of land, land acquisition and the integration of deeds.
BCM officials say the integrated property infor-mation management system (IPIMS) will replace the manual application system with a digital system.
This will enable BCM’s city planning, land administration, building and architecture departments to fast-track property applications – as well as give a clear indication of any delays, BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said.
He said an external link would be introduced later to the public, which will allow applicants to check the status of their application by punching in their reference numbers.
“The previous approach was a manual one which involved a lot of paper work and manual circulation of applications. Now all these processes are to be done electronically,” Cindi said.
“Also the issue of turnaround time during the application process is to be shortened,” Cindi said.
Last year the Daily Dispatch reported that architects, who asked their names be withheld, and who are affiliated to the Border-Kei Institute of Architects (BKIA) complained, saying plans had to go through a maze of up to 29 BCM departments.
One architect said: “I have had two projects which took 11 months and 12 months to get approval.
“A small alteration to a shop, which normally takes a month or two to build, took from November 2014 to June 2015 (eight months) to be approved for construction.”
Another said: “Many officials are often arrogant and unhelpful, blaming other departments, municipal politics, political interference, dysfunctional systems, their bosses, and lack of staff for causing the delays.”
Another complained: “Often plans are misplaced in their offices and cannot be found. When staff members are on leave, nobody processes the applications.”
BKIA president Marlene Swinney said BCM’s move to go digital was a step in the right direction.
“The system will save us the time of having to go from one department to the other to submit applications. It will also prevent loss of any documents in the system.”
Swinney said with the manual system applications took longer, having to go between four to five departments to submit and check on the progress of an application.
“With the digital system you just give the official a USB flash drive containing all your application documents. The application will be loaded into their system and be circulated to the other departments. The applicant will be able to get communication via e-mail,” Swinney said.
Cindi said the municipality aimed to go paperless in the near future, but those who did not have access to computers and scanners could still bring their applications in to the respective departments for capturing. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
BCM’s property system goes digital
Property applications include property use changes, rezoning, lease management, new building plans, sub-divisions, the sale of land, land acquisition and the integration of deeds.
BCM officials say the integrated property infor-mation management system (IPIMS) will replace the manual application system with a digital system.
This will enable BCM’s city planning, land administration, building and architecture departments to fast-track property applications – as well as give a clear indication of any delays, BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said.
He said an external link would be introduced later to the public, which will allow applicants to check the status of their application by punching in their reference numbers.
“The previous approach was a manual one which involved a lot of paper work and manual circulation of applications. Now all these processes are to be done electronically,” Cindi said.
“Also the issue of turnaround time during the application process is to be shortened,” Cindi said.
Last year the Daily Dispatch reported that architects, who asked their names be withheld, and who are affiliated to the Border-Kei Institute of Architects (BKIA) complained, saying plans had to go through a maze of up to 29 BCM departments.
One architect said: “I have had two projects which took 11 months and 12 months to get approval.
“A small alteration to a shop, which normally takes a month or two to build, took from November 2014 to June 2015 (eight months) to be approved for construction.”
Another said: “Many officials are often arrogant and unhelpful, blaming other departments, municipal politics, political interference, dysfunctional systems, their bosses, and lack of staff for causing the delays.”
Another complained: “Often plans are misplaced in their offices and cannot be found. When staff members are on leave, nobody processes the applications.”
BKIA president Marlene Swinney said BCM’s move to go digital was a step in the right direction.
“The system will save us the time of having to go from one department to the other to submit applications. It will also prevent loss of any documents in the system.”
Swinney said with the manual system applications took longer, having to go between four to five departments to submit and check on the progress of an application.
“With the digital system you just give the official a USB flash drive containing all your application documents. The application will be loaded into their system and be circulated to the other departments. The applicant will be able to get communication via e-mail,” Swinney said.
Cindi said the municipality aimed to go paperless in the near future, but those who did not have access to computers and scanners could still bring their applications in to the respective departments for capturing. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
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