Council never approached to act as payment centre for ARMS
David Darmanin Birgu’s residents were met with blank faces at their local council offices when they were informed they could not pay their utility bills at the council offices, because billing company ARMS had not informed the council beforehand.
Automated Revenue Management Services (ARMS), a company formed by Enemalta and Water Services Corporation to handle their billing services, is offering customers the facility to pay their bills at their local council’s office. But it transpired that it omitted to inform Birgu’s local council of this decision, causing considerable confusion in the inner harbour city.
Upon receiving their first bills under the ARMS letterhead this month, Birgu residents told MaltaToday that the initiative had caused “more of an inconvenience” since upon entering the premises with cash in hand, they were met with only blank stares.
Christine Bonello, the executive secretary of the council, confirmed that “contrary to what is written on the Enemalta bills, we do not accept any money to forward to ARMS so that electricity bills are settled.”
Bonello explained that the misunderstanding may have stemmed from the fact that up until three years ago, the local council used to provide this facility for Enemalta, but it had then opted out of renewing the agreement.
“But since the new billing system was put into place, they just included the Birgu office as a payment centre without consulting with us. People would find it convenient to pay at a local council office, so as you would expect, we had a few walk-ins.”
Birgu residents adamant on paying their bills at a local council office could alternatively visit the Gudja local council or the ones in Ghaxaq or Mtarfa, or send a cheque.
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