Chinau mayor warns: 'The city risks to run out of water and sewage'
The risk of leaving the inhabitants of the capital without water is still very high, stated the mayor of the capital, Ion Ceban. Despite the fact that ANRE previously approved a rate increase, it was lower than what "Apă-Canal Chișinău" demanded. The mayor says that the company continues to accumulate enormous debts.
Ion Ceban, wrote on his Facebook page that due to the fact that the processes were delayed to the maximum in order not to adjust the cost of water and sewage services, and on the other hand, the price increases of the rest of the services continued, "Apa-Canal Chisinau" has accumulated debts for electricity, and the "Premier Energy" company has already disconnected some of the company's objectives, the mayor said.
"For two months, the amount of debt is 78 million lei for electricity. The company "Apă Canal" does not have this money, but pays in instalments as possible (...). The city risks running out of water and sewage, as well as the strategic institution of going bankrupt," said Ion Ceban.
Radio Moldova reminds its audience that the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) approved new water and sewage tariffs in the municipality of Chisinau on January 11. Thus, the price for domestic consumers is 11.12 lei for a cubic metre of drinking water. In addition, the rates for sewerage and wastewater treatment services have also gone up. Domestic consumers pay 4.18 lei per cubic metre.
It has to be mentioned that at the end of December, "Apa-Canal Chisinau" submitted a request to ANRE for the approval of changes to the tariffs for water and sewerage of approximately 24 lei.
At the end of November 2022, the Chisinau Municipal Council approved higher provisional tariffs for the public water supply service. For domestic consumers, the average tariff calculated for the public drinking water supply service was set at 16.32 lei per cubic metre, and for the sewage service – 6.62 lei. Respectively, in total – 22.94 lei.
ANRE qualified the decision of the Municipal Council as illegal, because it was taken without the institution's opinion. Some PAS councillors stated that the price demanded by the "Apă Canal Chisinau" Joint Stock Company was too high.
