Durban - Pietermaritzburg residents could soon receive their
water, electricity and rates bills by sms, a municipality spokesperson said
on Monday.
The move was aimed at making the municipality more
environmentally friendly and saving the city money, Msunduzi municipal
spokesperson Brian Zuma said.
Residents were being invited to join the scheme. The
municipality hoped to have compiled a database of residents who received
their metro bills by sms by the end of the week.
"It is a green environment campaign and at the same it is a cost-saving exercise."
Residents would not be forced to receive their bills by sms.
Msunduzi Democratic Alliance chief whip Rodger Ashe
said that if the system worked he would welcome it. He said the city's
database of addresses was out of date.
"With this system, at least they (the municipality) will know that they (the residents) have received the bill."
However, he said he would prefer to receive his bills by email.