22 September, 2003 Press Release The establishment of the City of Joburg in 2000 was the culmination of a transformation process that began in 1996. This resulted in a strong political and administrative leadership of the City. This transformation is aimed at enhanced and cost effective service delivery, direct accountability, and elimination of duplication, robust financial management and human resource development. Upon this, is based the vision of turning Joburg into a world-class city by the year 2030, underpinned by the six Mayoral priorities. For the Finance and Economic Development Department, it resulted in the critical scrutiny of its revenue operations, management, products and approach. It subsequently introduced strategies aimed at resolving the related problems; Recruitment of new management Business process re-engineering Data cleanup in respect of Billing Establishment of a Revenue Shared Services Centre (RSSC) Improving turnaround times and communication Human resource training and development Currently initiatives are underway to improve operations between internal and external departments that rely on each other for information. In particular, billing errors in respect of incorrect readings, faulty meters and clearance certificates is a priority. Executive Director for Finance and Economic Development, Roland Hunter said, "We not just collecting revenue here, we attracting business and residential investment so that the City can sustain itself ". He emphasized the importance of responding quickly to consumer queries and complaints. Hunter said, " A forum of operational managers representing Revenue, Planning and Valuations has been established to expedite the issuing of clearance certificates and any backlogs". Co-operation from the Deeds and Surveyor General's Offices, City Power and Johannesburg Water has been requested. The forum has been mandated to Identify outstanding issues related to clearance certificates and resolve them within 14 days Document processes that cause delays Establish automated links between departments "Delays encountered with facilitating property transfers is neither beneficial to us, nor the developers and we welcome any co-operation to speed up processes", said Hunter. He further said that it was not Council's intention to frustrate developers or drive them away from the City. He pointed out that developers do not always submit all relevant documentation upon completion of projects even though Council is ultimately responsible for collecting such documentation. He said that property transactions must be handled professionally to create a sense of confidence amongst developers and potential investors. "Staff selected for their high level of commitment and knowledge who have met certain criteria are presently being trained for the Revenue Shared Services Centre", Hunter said. The monitoring of clean data, pre-edit of meter readings and the use of suitable technology, is important for the RSSC for billing purposes. This will eliminate most if not all associated billing errors and problems in the City. ENDS Issued on behalf of: Roland Hunter Executive Director Finance and Economic Development City of Johannesburg By: Virgil James Communications Tel: 358 3836 Fax: 339 2652