New Water Tariffs For Selangor Announced Mb Vows Assistance

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Selangor Menteri Amirudin Shari has announced the new water tariffs in Selangor, with the minimum charge for domestic users going up to RM6.50 from RM6.
The hike will be implemented effective Feb 1.
According to reports, he said households which use 20 cubic metres of water a month would be charged 65 sen per cubic metre, eight sen higher than the current rate.
Whereas those using between 20 and 35 cubic metres would be charged RM1.32 per cubic metre. The present rate is RM1.03.
As for those who use more than 35 cubic metres, it would go up from RM2 to RM2.63.
The menteri besar said citizens whose household income is RM5,000 or below a month are eligible to apply for free water. This can be done through the Air Selangor website.
Tariff hike needed
According to Amirudin, the adjustment would allow Air Selangor to increase its replacement of broken or faulty pipes from 150km a year to 300km a year.
The new rates, he added, would also see the construction of a new water treatment plant to increase the reserve margin to 20 percent in the six years and ensure water quality is maintained at 99 percent.
Earlier, Bernama reported that the state government will take follow-up measures to assist consumers in the state affected by the water tariff adjustment.
Amirudin said this was because an expected 49 percent of Air Selangor account holders will be impacted by the new tariff.
He also said one of the measures includes ensuring the Darul Ehsan Water Scheme (Sade) could continue.
“There are several steps that we (state government) can introduce to ease the burden of certain groups set to be affected by the water tariff adjustment,” he added.
Sade is the reapportion programme to provide free water to targeted Selangor residents with a household monthly income of RM5,000 and aims to reduce the people’s cost of living, especially those from the low-income group.
Amirudin said the water tariff adjustment was necessary to ensure the sustainability of Air Selangor’s capital and business plan for the long term.
“Almost all (water companies) need an increase in terms of capital and business plan. We need a tariff adjustment at a certain rate during certain years,” he said.
Yesterday, the National Water Services Commission announced that the water tariff adjustment for domestic users in the peninsula and Labuan will take effect on Feb 1. - Mkini

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