Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority

BILLING SYSTEM

Invoices are printed every two months on the basis of "reading the water meter and billing within a day". The bill collection process includes customers who do not pay their bill on time (15 days from bill issuing date) being notified by a standard letter from PPWSA, that they are obliged to pay the bill within three working days from notification date. If customers fail to comply with the terms in the letter, PPWSA may first temporarily suspend their water supply by sealing the valve.

Payment issues are resolved with approximately 70% of customers who do not pay on time. Customers whose water supply is temporarily suspended have their water reconnected after PPWSA receives any outstanding amounts, plus a penalty of 1% per day on the amount outstanding and a reconnection fee of KHR 60,000 incase of valve sealing, or KHR 100,000 in the case of a temporary disconnection. For the other 30% of customers who do not pay on time, their water connection should officially cut off. In order to get their water connection restored, they are required to pay the outstanding water bill, plus a penalty of 1% per day on the amount outstanding and a water connection fee.

Customers may pay their bills:
• in cash in person at PPWSA's head office; or
• through one of PPWSA's 4 branches; or
• through their bank by cheque or an Auto pay direction (ACLEDA Unity); or
• by means of selected banks ATM machines or EFTPOS;or
• by means of mobile phone banking.

As a result of Cambodia having a cash-based economy, there are not many payments via the banking system, including mobile phone banking. Payments through the banking system are on average approximately 100 operations per day
PPWSA has bill collectors, who are paid in accordance with an incentive and penalty scheme. In accordance with the scheme, incentives are paid based on the percentage of bills collected, but if less than 99% of bills payable are collected by a bill collector for three consecutive periods, the bill collector is penalized or may even be dismissed. The percentage of bills collected both in terms of the number of bills and the value of the bills exceeds 99.5%.