MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Hours ahead of the Covid-19 lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Mossel Bay Council unanimously approved the recommendations for a package of relief measures to ease the detrimental financial effect of the lockdown on the residents, business owners, and the local economy in general.

Municipal manager Advocate Thys Giliomee and council approved a financial grace period on municipal accounts to support business, industry and individual customers.

Council urges residents to continue to diligently pay their accounts where possible as the municipality is dependent on a high payment return to maintain high service delivery.

"To qualify for benefits, residents will have to prove that the non-payment of municipal accounts is the direct result of the lockdown. Please do not be opportunistic. Pay your dues," executive mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Harry Levendal, urged.

During the national lockdown the municipal finance department remains operational to give effect to the relief measures, however, the municipal cashier points are closed. Payments can be still be made at third party vendors such as Pick n Pay, Checkers, and others.

“We encourage electronic payments and the banking details are on the account. The municipal account number must be used as a reference number.

"The banking system has an automatic verification; payment with incorrect references will be rejected. If a consumer has more than one account, separate payments must please be processed,” Mayor Levendal said.

Relief measures

Business and Industry assistance
Financial assistance will be provided to all lessees of the municipality including Local Economic Development projects such as the Beehives and Goods Shed.

• An amnesty is granted for paying rent by all lessees for a period of three months after the government's announcement of a national Covid-19 disaster and applies for March to May on accounts payable by the 15th of the following month.

Financial assistance will also be provided to all business and industry in distress.

• An amnesty for paying the full service bill for a period of three months after the government's announcement of a national Covid-19 disaster is granted and applies for March to May property rates and service accounts payable by the 15th of the following month.

In both instances:

• The customer will need to repay the arrears in equal instalments for no longer than six months.
• No interest will be levied during this period of a full nine months, if all accounts are up to date for accounts payable by 16 March (February account).
• No collection mechanisms will be applied to the outstanding three-month amnesty accounts. However, if the customer is in default of any amount during the repayment period, the normal credit control measures will be applied.

Residential Clients

Water

• The current water restrictions are being lifted, in other words, all water that is restricted (on a drip) will be opened. Any restricted meters may be logged at Debt Pack at 044 620 4480 for opening.

Electricity

• All prepaid and conventional electricity meters that are currently 100% blocked were "freed" before Thursday, 26 March

Indigent applications

• The deadline for indigent applications is moved to 30 April, instead of March
• No interest will be levied on arrear accounts until the payment date in June, if all accounts are up to date for accounts payable by 16 March (February account)
• The auxiliary recovery rate by prepaid purchases of 55% will be reduced to 30% for the 21-day lockdown.

The process

• If any account is in arrears after the three months, the normal debt collection process will be followed with the option of a payment arrangement as determined by council (six months without interest) or the normal credit control policy (maximum 12 months with interest)
• All instalment agreements will be cancelled if the client does not pay the current account and the instalment arrangement.
• An instalment agreement will already be completed to be signed by the client and will only come into effect when the three-month amnesty period lapses.

The municipality requests that all other revenue-related issues be submitted to jfourie@mosselbay.gov.za or admin@mosselbay.gov.za.

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