Harare city council launches $200bn computer project

HARARE City Council has launched a $200 billion computerisation project to replace the current system that had become derelict and unreliable. The antiquated Venus System currently in use has been delaying the production of council audited accounts, plunging the council into accountability problems. The new system, known as the BIQ Integrated Municipal Computer Package, will be installed by Sambiri Integrated Technologies on behalf of Quill Associates, the owners of the computing package. The commission running the city's affairs on Thursday released an initial $70 billion for the first phase, out of the $200 billion budgeted for the entire project. The urgent need to install the new system has been necessitated by the fact that to date, the council's 2004 audited accounts are still outstanding, affecting the municipality's borrowing status and creditworthiness. The Venus System was installed in 1997 by a South African company, Bull, and has presented council with accounting problems. Council also had problems with the suppliers of the Venus System software after it failed to pay Bull licence fees amounting to US$30 888 (about ZW$3 billion). No public tenders were invited for the installation of the new BIQ Integrated Municipal Computer Package after the commission invoked a section of the Urban Councils Act allowing it to buy without going to tender. Four companies that deal in municipal computing systems were considered, and Quill Associates won the tender. According to the latest commission minutes, the council has started installing the BIQ Integrated Municipal Computer Package, which is being supplied by Quill Associates, a South African concern. Acting city treasurer Mr Cosmos Zvikaramba told the commission that $200 billion was budgeted for the computerisation project this year. In an interview with The Herald last week, Mr Zvikaramba said the treasury department would be computerised first with the project rolling to other departments during the first half of this year. "We have been conducting training sessions since January. They are still underway. Training for other departments will begin in March," he said. Mr Zvikaramba said the new computer system would help in the production of accurate bills and statements. Harare ratepayers have on numerous occasions confronted and blamed council over inflated bills while others accused the local authority of not issuing them with their monthly bills."All those are going to be issues of the past. The bills will be correct and delivered on time," he said. Mr Zvikaramba said the entire council would be computerised, allowing for easier communication and production of management reports.At the moment documents between offices have to be hand-delivered. Source: All Africa

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