Chisinau water supplier says it has no resources to cover expenses for water meters

“Apa-Canal Chisinau” (ACC) has at present no finances to cover the expenses for installing, verifying and replacing water meters, as stipulated in the new Framework-regulation on deciding, designing, receipting and using water and power consumption measurement equipment, recently approved by the Government. Head of Company’s Client Service Mihai Golban told Info-Prim Neo that only when the law comes into force will the administration of the company be able to say whether it is ready to implement the provisions of the document. Until then, he is convinced there will be talks on the issue, meaning that the document should stipulate the financing source. In case the financing source will be the profit of the company, as the authorities said, ACC could increase the tariffs, which could ensure the profitability of the company, necessary for handling the works related to the meters. Mihail Golban mentioned that because of the low tariffs, the company has no profit for the fourth year in a row. Moreover, no expenses for maintaining the meters are included in the present tariffs. Deputy Director of the Agency for Territory Development and Constructions, Anatol Izbanda, has previously told reporters that the specific Regulation aims at solving the legal disputes related to the functioning of the meters. The supplier will take upon itself all the expenses related to their maintenance only after the meters become its property. Also, when the operation term will expire, the meters will be replaced by the supplier. It will have the right to change the meters which it will find broken. Izbanda said that the companies will pay for the works related to meters on the account of company’s profit. According to the cited source, the implementation of this regulation will be beneficial to the suppliers, because they are interested to have functional meters, so that they could avoid losses.