MAIN IMAGE: Linda Byron, NRG Property Group; Bryan Biehler, Director of Huizemark
Danie Keet
The battle to get administrative processes and computer management systems in place and working at the PPRA, is continuing, and has now reached another low with huge administrative costs being directed to practitioners, apparently due to technical hold-ups.
Technical issues at the PPRA with systems on which property practitioners are dependent for their continued operations have been at the forefront of this dire state in which practitioners find themselves. Problems relating to examination and FFC registrations have been at the heart of the problem – both important actions needed by practitioners to continue earning a living.
“After months of being fobbed off with ‘there is a glitch’, we were finally hit with a notice
being posted on the PPRA website advising everyone ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’, and they were the only ones for whom it was unforeseen, the system was down,” says Linda Byron, Office Manager and real estate practitioner from NRG Property Group in Gqeberha.
She says that since then there was not a word from the PPRA except for a message from a creepy voice on their phone system, advising that they are experiencing renewal payment issues.
“I am currently managing 28 agents’ renewals, registrations, change of company or other general issues with the PPRA and I can categorically state without fear of contradiction that there is almost a zero response to any emails or queries being logged or sent.
“The issue that I am wondering about, is this – previously the practitioners paid a renewal fee, i.e., R510 for a 1-year FFC. This has now been increased to R2340 for a 3-year FFC.
“We then paid R374 for any change needed to the FFC whether it was change of company, change of name, change of status or anything else. This fee has now been increased to a staggering R2340.
“This effectively means that I pay R2340 in 2022 for a 3-year FFC effective from 1 January 2023, issued in my name with any given employer. In March 2023 I get the opportunity to join a different company and for my FFC to be legally valid, I need to change my employer and now must pay another R2340.”
Byron argues that effectively the PPRA is charging a practitioner R4 680 for the same 3-year FFC.
“This is insane, morally wrong and I have not been able to find a single person inside or outside of the PPRA to explain how this can be justifiable or correct. This in an industry where practitioners are battling to cope with the constant demands of charges from the PPRA,” she said.
Bryan Biehler, Director of Huizemark, said the continued failure of systems at the PPRA is inexcusable.
“This is totally unacceptable and a poor, overdue excuse for simply not getting the problem solved. The country is full of qualified IT techs specializing in system failure fields. It appears that they (the PPRA) are honestly not coping with the changeover from the EAAB. Perhaps there aren’t sufficient staff members available to address this either. However, I am concerned as to how they are so easy to demand practitioners are compliant and follow the rules and make the due payments so we don’t get penalized, which believe me they will charge, yet they are the ones hindering our efficiency in the field. How can the PPRA expect everyone to abide and be compliant when they cannot even ensure the assistance, we require is available?
“We don’t have a choice but to wait. We have to carry on working. Going into the offices physically also proves fruitless if they are experiencing technical difficulties and cannot access our profiles.”
Referring to the exorbitant fees now being levied, he said: ” This was not communicated to practitioners and the first we all found out was when we logged in to renew and were blown away by the amount due. We were only informed that a certificate would be due for 3 years. There was nothing mentioned or relayed about the shocking new fee.
“I, for one, called the PPRA to make sure there wasn’t an error. When I enquired on the massive increase, I was simply told ‘I don’t know, that is now the fee’ without any attempt at an explanation. There has been no respect and consideration for agents on the financial front. An additional R1 830-00 burns a hole in plenty of agents’ pockets. Perhaps 3 x R510 can be justified at R1 530-00 but honestly, what on earth is the extra R810-00 in the total of R2 340-00? We don’t even get our certificates once we have paid in time.”
He also questioned the additional amounts payable when a practitioner changes companies.
“This is ridiculous. All that is required is an uploaded new Letter of Appointment, which is done personally anyway by the agent, and I am sure with the substantial amount of money paid already for the annual and now 3-year certificate, the PPRA can simply amend the system and reprint a certificate? This does not cost hundreds of rands to do to type a few changes on the system – it should be part of the duties of the PPRA included in the substantial fee they have charged us.”
