The National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER) on May 16 held public debates on the rise in water and sewerage tariffs requested by water supplier SA “Apa-Canal Chisinau”. In the debate, the company’s administration explained that the costs anticipated for 2017 increased and a rise in the tariffs that hadn’t been adjusted for eight years is inevitable, IPN reports.
The administration said the company sustains losses of millions of lei and could go bankrupt if the tariffs are not adjusted. In July 2015, SA “Apa-Canal Chisinau” requested the Agency to adjust the tariffs and presented all the costs and relevant arguments. The Agency assigned an audit mission. The results of the audit mission were taken into account by the company. A working group consisting of representatives of the company and NAER was set up to determine the main costs that are to be included in the adjusted tariff.
If the NAER approves the tariffs proposed by the Chisinau water supplier, household users will pay 11.75 lei per cubic meter of water and sewerage, while business entities – 25.52 lei. The water bill for an average household will rise from 67.64 lei a month at present to 86.48 lei a month, which is by 18.80 lei a month or 225.60 lei a year higher.
The adjustment of tariffs is a condition imposed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, with which “Apa-Canal Chisinau” signed a contract to the value of €62 million. This money will be used to rehabilitate 205 km of water networks, over 3 000 branch pipes of apartment buildings and about 15 km of sewer pipes.
In the same meeting, the Agency examined the request to increase the water tariffs made by the Ungheni municipal company “Apa Canal”. According to the company’s representative, the last time the tariffs were adjusted in June 2013. Now they ask for a tariff of 23.36 lei per cubic meter for the citizens and of 38.47 lei for business entities.
The Agency’s Administration Board is to hold a meeting to take a decision on the requested rises.
