People in Izmir who cannot pay their water bills due to economic problems resulting from the corona crisis can get help by others who anonymously pay for them. Following the example of Istanbul and Ankara, the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has implemented the system of ‘askida fatura’, ‘suspended bill’. That is the name of a Turkish tradition, practiced in bakeries: a customer buys one loaf of bread but pays for two, so someone in need can come in and eat later. Now this principle is used for water bills, via ‘BizIzmir’, the digital platform for municipal services.
*BizIzmir is a digital platform that incorporates Izmir residents into the municipal administration and enables citizens to access many municipal services. Constructed on three main actions, BizIzmir emphasizes on the acquisition of information (hear), the Izmir residents to act together (share) and participation (join). It is possible to be informed about all the culture and art activities in Izmir, to express an opinion about an investment in the city or to participate in surveys through BizIzmir. Izmir residents who sign up to the BizIzmir website and the Mobile application not only share the information there, but also convey their requests and suggestions, follow the results, deposit money to their transportation cards, or access essential information that facilitates their lives – from pharmacies on duty to vacant parking spaces – in the same platform.
Contact: Ozan Sumerkan