In this episode of the !Engage Connected Communities podcast, host Philip de Bruin, joined by Cornel Ebersohn - PhoenixERP project director, Nic Klopper - CEO of 1Map, and Jerome Booysen - CFO at Cederberg Municipality, explores the critical issue of revenue protection in municipalities.
The panel discusses how revenue is essential for delivering services like water, electricity, and waste management, whilst highlighting challenges such as non-payment, theft, billing inaccuracies, and ineffective debt collection, which lead to high debt levels and eroded community trust.
Cornel Ebersohn explains the role of smart meters, automated billing, and data analytics in improving revenue collection, noting that whilst technology brings more data, it requires effective management and BI tools to address issues like broken meters and data discrepancies.
Nic Klopper identifies the silo effect between departments and outsourcing issues with prepaid meters as major contributors to revenue loss, advocating for a holistic workflow approach.
Jerome Booysen emphasises the challenge of setting affordable tariffs, balancing costs, and fostering economic sustainability to ensure citizens can pay for mandatory services.
The discussion includes a case study from Cederberg Municipality, where PhoenixMAP's mapping platform identified unbilled services and non-functional meters, and positive feedback from Newcastle highlights the importance of workflow and correct billing for debt collection.
The episode concludes with Jerome stressing the need for accountability, good governance, and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure long-term municipal sustainability, urging listeners to share the episode and seek assistance for revenue enhancement.