The introduction of actual reading for final accounts in March 1999 was among the various improved new services offered by the Financial Management Branch.
Other important aspects of work undertaken included the enhancement and testing of the Water Billing and the Information System, and Electronic Meter Reading System for Y2K compliance as well as the design and development of information systems for the Customer Enquiry Centre.
In addition, customer opinion surveys were carried out for the Customer Enquiry Centres (CEC) and Telephone Enquiry Unit (TEU). The service hours for the Customer Enquiry Centres from Mondays to Friday were extended in August 1998. There will be further extensions of service hours from April 1999.
The Branch offers direct links to the public within the six areas of activities for which it is responsible - finance, customer accounts, management accounting and systems, supplies, customer enquiries and meter reading.
Direct communication with the public is effected through eight Customer Enquiry Centres which are equipped with computer terminals providing on-line data about water accounts, and are located throughout the territory.
Two other communication channels are the Telephone Enquiry Unit and an automated telephone service, Water Infolink, which offers information in Cantonese, Putonghua and English.
The Branch is headed by a Business Manager, who holds the rank of an Assistant Director of Accounting Services, and is directly responsible to the Deputy Director. Assisting the Business Manager are two Senior Treasury Accountants and a Chief Supplies Officer.
The Finance and Consumer Accounts sections are headed by a Senior Treasury Accountant who is responsible for their overall administration and co-ordination with senior management on departmental resources allocation and annual draft estimates and the review and monitoring of departmental expenditure. He reviews and streamlines financial systems and procedures on departmental finance and water accounts operations.
Another Senior Treasury Accountant oversees the operation of the Management Accounting and System Section, Customer Enquiry Section and Meter Reading Section.
The Management Accounting and System Section is headed by a Treasury Accountant who is responsible for the overall operation of the water and sewage charge billing system. The Section co-ordinates between the Treasury and all user sections on system revision and modification, conducts feasibility studies on new projects, and reviews both computer and manual systems. It also prepares costing statements for the review of fees and charges as well as the operating account and the five-year projections submitted each year to the Waterworks Accounts Committee for review and consideration of water tariffs.
The Supplies Section, headed by a Chief Supplies Officer, is responsible for the overall administration and management of supplies activities, provisioning and procurement of all types of stores.
The Internal Audit Section, headed by a Treasury Accountant, is responsible for the periodic examination of the financial accounting system and is directly responsible to the Deputy Director.
In his report on the productivity of Government departments, the Director of Audit raised questions about the attendance record of some meter readers in carrying out their outdoor activities.
Apart from disciplinary action, a number of administrative measures have been taken to remedy the situation including: