Dawasco ends contracts with Maxcom, Selcom

Dar es Salaam. Payment for water usage in the city will now be done through the Government electronic Payment Gate Way System (GePG) effective today, the Dar es Salaam Water Supply Corporation (Dawasco) has announced.

This comes after the end of the contracts with two digital payment agents of Selcom and Maxcom, who were collecting the payment on behalf of Dawasco on commission basis.

According to the corporation, the migration of payment system will enable the corporation to save Sh2.4 billion per year, which was being paid as commission to third parties including digital payment service providers.

It is estimated that Dawasco collects a total of Sh1 billion from water bills per month, which is equivalent to Sh12 billion per year.

Dawasco chief executive officer Cyprian Luhemeja revealed this on Wednesday when addressing journalists in the city. “We’re very happy on this government system because it will increase efficiency as the payment will be paid directly to us, unlike how it was before; and, it took us up to a week to receive the payment,” he said.

He said under the GePG, all payments will be done through special control numbers consisting of twelve digits.

These will be communicated to customers upon receiving water bills.

Through this new system, the corporation will not be responsible for the commission of 1 per cent but would be paid by customers.

He added that payment will be done via all mobile operators, adding in the begging there must be a challenges especially in control number but later on things will be good.