Rising costs have resulted in the City increasing tariffs to ensure that service delivery reaches the furthest corners of the Joburg.
Presenting the City’s budget in the Council Chamber today, 22 May 2019, MMC for Finance Cllr Funzela Ngobeni said authorities had little option but to increase the electricity tariff from its originally proposed 12.20% average tariff to a proposed 13.07% across all categories of customers after Nersa awarded Eskom a higher than inflation hike.
“The backbone for the Johannesburg that works – is to be able to deliver effective – efficient and sustainable urban infrastructure. The City of Johannesburg is today tabling tariffs for services like electricity, water, refuse removal and property rates.
Other tariff announcements:
- Joburg Water the proposed tariff increase remains at a 9.9% increase – and is confirmed for the 2019/20 financial year, and
- Property rates 5.5%
- Refuse removal 7%
MMC Ngobeni said the City has had to increase internal efficiencies and will continue to provide relief to those in need through our vast rebates programme. To mitigate these increases, the City will be giving households without any formal income free15 kilolitres of water per month and 150-kilowatt hours of electricity, he said
The City will continue to provide relief to our residents through tariff rebates and the Extended Social Package Programme (ESP) and continue to offer free basic water to registered indigent households.
The highest allocation of free basic water will be provided to households earning no formal income – receiving up to 15 kilolitres of water a month and 150-kilowatt hours of electricity.
Lower levels of allocations will range between 10 kilolitres of free water a month and 12 kilolitres of water provided without charge to the most vulnerable in our City.
On a positive note, the billing backlog has been reduced from the previous 100 000 to the current 9 000 as at April 2019.
“I am the first to admit that there is a lot of work still to be done in addressing all problems within our billing value chain. I am pleased to say that we have made significant strides in this regard,” said MMC Ngobeni, who added that regional open days were bring solutions closer to residents.
“It brings together the range and skill-sets and a myriad of role-players – thus allowing for resolutions on the same day,” said Cllr Ngobeni.
