From December Buffalo City Metro ratepayers will finally be able to buy electricity from the comfort of their homes, ATMs and over the internet.
The city is finally set to introduce new technology to assist its challenged electricity vendor system.
This was revealed by executive mayor Xola Pakati yesterday when he presented his action plan for the first 100 days in office to senior BCM managers, politicians and the media.
For decades BCM ratepayers have had to endure long queues and all types of weather when wanting to buy electricity at vendors.
However, Pakati and acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana yesterday promised that those frustrations would soon be a thing of the past after the city appointed a new IT manager.
Ncunyana said the technology was an easy pay process aimed at increasing the city’s revenue collection.
He said the new strategy would also cut the travelling time endured by consumers when they need to buy electricity. “We appointed an IT manager a couple of months ago and we have been able to develop a strategy for the Buffalo City smart city concept and this is one of the results of that,” said Ncunyana.
Pakati said the initiative formed part of the city’s stakeholder improvement plans for ratepayers.
“We introduced the concept of decentralised billing and meter- reading system with the latest technology to be implemented by the end of 2016. This will improve the electricity prepaid system and vending system to ensure communities will be able to buy prepaid electricity through the internet, ATM and cellphones and also community vending points.
“BCM intends to implement improved customer service channels that will improve communication between the city and its stakeholders. The intention is to make sure that we respond timeously to calls that customers have and improve efficiency,” Pakati said.
The programme will clean out the troubled supply chain management unit. Pakati said there was a new supply chain management turnaround strategy aimed at improving all supply chain processes, but mostly to improve the turnaround time to process payments.
Asked what he had done since taking office in August he admitted that most of the time was spent in meetings “consulting” with stakeholders in BCM.
New electricity payment methods on way
The city is finally set to introduce new technology to assist its challenged electricity vendor system.
This was revealed by executive mayor Xola Pakati yesterday when he presented his action plan for the first 100 days in office to senior BCM managers, politicians and the media.
For decades BCM ratepayers have had to endure long queues and all types of weather when wanting to buy electricity at vendors.
However, Pakati and acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana yesterday promised that those frustrations would soon be a thing of the past after the city appointed a new IT manager.
Ncunyana said the technology was an easy pay process aimed at increasing the city’s revenue collection.
He said the new strategy would also cut the travelling time endured by consumers when they need to buy electricity. “We appointed an IT manager a couple of months ago and we have been able to develop a strategy for the Buffalo City smart city concept and this is one of the results of that,” said Ncunyana.
Pakati said the initiative formed part of the city’s stakeholder improvement plans for ratepayers.
“We introduced the concept of decentralised billing and meter- reading system with the latest technology to be implemented by the end of 2016. This will improve the electricity prepaid system and vending system to ensure communities will be able to buy prepaid electricity through the internet, ATM and cellphones and also community vending points.
“BCM intends to implement improved customer service channels that will improve communication between the city and its stakeholders. The intention is to make sure that we respond timeously to calls that customers have and improve efficiency,” Pakati said.
The programme will clean out the troubled supply chain management unit. Pakati said there was a new supply chain management turnaround strategy aimed at improving all supply chain processes, but mostly to improve the turnaround time to process payments.
Asked what he had done since taking office in August he admitted that most of the time was spent in meetings “consulting” with stakeholders in BCM.
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