Joburg to introduce credit controls from next week

The City of Johannesburg says it will resume full credit measures on outstanding municipal accounts from Monday (24 August).

Ratepayers in financial distress should approach it for alternative payment arrangements to avoid penalties when these measures resume, the city said in a statement on Wednesday (19 August).

Some of the credit-control assistance offered to ratepayers who have been hit hard by the lockdown include payment arrangement plans that will enable them to make a minimum payment amount in a form of instalments over a longer period of time.

Since the beginning of the lockdown, the city said it has been affording ratepayers relaxed payment terms to assist customers in financial distress to settle their debt in full or pay their outstanding debt over a longer period.

The following are some of the terms currently available to all ratepayers:

• ​The city will waiver 100% of interest previously charged should the customer choose to settle their account in full;

• ​The city will offer a reduced payment requirement when entering a payment arrangement with only 10% required. Customers will also not be subjected to affordability checks.  This offer is valid until 30 September 2020.

“Ratepayers who need to enter into a payment arrangement may send their requests to [email protected] or visit their nearest customer service centre across thecCity’s regions,” it said.

“The city appeals to municipal account holders not to ignore pre-termination notices issued because of overdue accounts, but to rather take advantage of the credit-control assistance being offered to avoid being cut off municipal services.”

The city said its municipal services cut-off will resume within a credit control legal framework that includes the issuing of a pre-termination notice that will be followed up with a disconnection notice and subsequently a cut-off for outstanding accounts without payment arrangements.

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