Payment of water bills simplified

Tanga. About 2,000 customers of the Tanga Urban Water and Sewerage Authority (Tanga Uwasa) whose services have been severed due to accumulated water bills will be able to pay their arrears under a special arrangement.

The plan, which is being executed as part of Maji Week celebrations, is aimed at recovering Sh3 billion.

Tanga Uwasa acting managing director Fares Aram said the accumulated bills were seriously affecting the authority’s ability to provide services.

The authority will use the Maji Week to educate customers on the importance of paying their bills.

The authority will start using a new bill electronic payment system next month.

That was said by Tanga Uwasa information and communications technology programmer, K. Luambo, during seminar.

Luambo said the new system would be used together with the current system until July when the old system would be phased out.

He said that the system which is already in use in some government institutions, such paying land fees, would speed up the process of payments.

“It would be possible now to see the payments a few minutes after a customer has paid his/her bill because the payments go direct to their accounts,” he said. “Customers will be given a code number each month to use in depositing their payments.”

He cited some advantages of the new system apart from removing delay in the payments being seen in their accounts as including enhanced control and visibility of Government funds and increasing productivity due to a more efficient process and minimised time wastage.

Other advantages are being a catalyst for growth and e-commerce adoption and capitalizing on economies of scaled to avoid infrastructure duplication.

Mr Luambo said the system was easier to link with multiple public utilities and there is no service contract with service providers while it would enhance customer service and image.