adminDaniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
HARARE City Council’s billing system saga has turned nasty, with the South African company Quill Associates, which provides the BIQ system threatening to sue the local authority for breach of agreement and exposing the local authority’s double standards.
The MDC-Alliance-led local authority, which has been using the old BIQ system for the past 13 years, reportedly requested for the installation of an upgraded version of the system last year, but later made a U-turn and refused to pay the US$75 000 annual licensing fees charged.
Council’s double standards, which saw it applauding the BIQ as the best system that is reliable and user-friendly before making a U-turn to attack its credibility in no time, were exposed in documents signed by council’s ICT manager in 2017.
Harare used to pay US$35 000 for the old system last year, but the upgraded system which they agreed to, now costs US$75 000.
In terms of the parties’ agreement, licensing fees are paid in advance and the US$75 000 became due on December 31 last year.
Council was invoiced US$75 000 for 2019 annual licensing fees on October 16 last year, which included an upgraded BIQ version that had been implemented.
Poor decision-making on the part of the local authority, which saw it moving backwards and forth on the BIQ system issue has plunged the city’s billing system into chaos after the shutdown by Quill Associates.
Such indecisiveness has also attracted legal proceedings which may see council being compelled to pay the US$75 000 despite the fact that they later shifted goalposts.
Harare lawyer Mr Cathew Manyani of TH Chitapi & Associates, who is representing Quill Associates and its local partner Groupview, said his clients were contemplating suing for the recovery of US$75 000.
“We are contemplating instituting legal proceedings against Harare City Council through the Commercial Arbitration Centre in terms of the agreement, to recover the licensing fees for the upgrade that has already been installed and ancillary costs,” said Mr Manyani.
However, Mr Manyani said there was still room for re-engagement before the institution of legal proceedings.
“For now, our doors are still open for re-engagement. After being disconnected, we thought council would come and sit down with us for negotiations on the payment plan and other issues, but they did not,” he said.
Mr Manyani dismissed as unfounded claims by council that the system was causing them problems, saying the local authority’s IT department lacked BIQ knowledge with the IT manager and his deputy being untrained on using the system.
“Bulawayo City Council is using the same system and it is audited every year with very good results. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) uses the same system and it has never complained. Claims that the system is not reliable are unfounded and a mere case of sour grapes.
“In fact, council lost a number of experienced IT officers who were trained to use the BIQ system through transfers, retirement and other reasons. The ICT manager himself, and his deputy are not trained to use the BIQ system and they are not conversant with it, an indication that the department lacks the skill,” said Mr Manyani.
To demonstrate council’s double standards and confusion in its ICT department, the department’s manager, one Mr Madzokere hailed the BIQ system as reliable and user-friendly. Part of the recommendation letter signed by ICT manager Mr Madzokere on March 7 2017, reads:
“The BIQ ERP was supplied by Quill Associates and is supported by their local partner Groupview Technologies. City of Harare is satisfied with the product and services provided by Groupview Technologies and Quill Associates.
“We would like to recommend BIQ ERP to anyone who requires a robust reliable and easy to use system.”
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