Sabahans owe water dept RM262mil in unpaid bills
Published on: Friday, January 12, 2024
By: Bernama
Refusal to settle water bills because of frequent supply disruptions will have financial implications for Sabah, says deputy chief minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah water department (JANS) is facing water bill arrears of up to RM262 million as more of its customers refuse to pay their bills, according to deputy chief minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
Shahelmey, who is also the state works minister, said the refusal to settle will affect the department’s revenue, with financial implications.
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He said feedback about why customers refused to pay their bills centred on dissatisfaction with frequent water cuts.
“As customers, we have to be responsible (to pay for the water we use).
“For the past several years, JANS’s bill collection has been exceeding its annual target of between RM200 million and RM300 million, so, there are customers who are paying their bills and being responsible,” he told reporters after launching the MyJANS mobile application here yesterday.
MyJANS is an initiative to provide information on water bills, notices, and complaints more easily, quickly and securely.
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“The customer charter in the MyJANS app is such that upon receiving a complaint or feedback, a response is given within half an hour.
“A special team is handling this app, at headquarters and in every district,” Shahelmey said.
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He also said the department has taken several short-term solutions to the supply problems at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), including sending water trucks to the university, and collaborating with UMS’s technical management department to control water pressure within the campus.
“This cooperation is crucial because the UMS campus is large and on hilly terrain. JANS will ensure water reaches UMS’s tanks, and UMS will play a role in managing water pressure within the campus environment,” he said.
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