Public transport fares, water and sewerage charges go up

The trolleybus and bus fares and the water and sewerage charges in the municipality of Chisinau will be higher from October 1. Related decisions were passed on Tuesday by the vote of 31 non-Communist members of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC). The faction of the Communists Party (PCRM) left the meeting hall before the given decisions were adopted, arguing that they are not prepared to discuss the issue, Info-Prim Neo reports. The trolleybus fare will be 2 lei, while the bus fare – 3 lei. Until October 1, a trip by the trolleybus will continue to cost 1 leu, while by bus – 2 lei. The councilors also decided to decrease the number of persons who benefit from travel allowances and increase the number of persons who receive nominal compensations for trips by public transport. Deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu said that the last time the fares were raised in 200, but since then the cost prices at the transport services have increased significantly. Also, the electric power tariffs went up several times. At the same meeting, the municipal councilors decided to increase the water charges. The household consumers will pay 9.17 lei per cubic meter of water and sewage, as against 5.07 lei until present. The rise constitutes about 80%. The consumers that are not connected to the sewerage system will pay 8.06 lei per cubic meter of drinking water. The economic entities will pay 22.96 lei per cubic meter of water, in contrast to the present charge of 20.14 lei. The increase represents about 14%. The technical water for the thermoelectric plants will cost 6.69 lei per cubic meter. Mayor Genera Dorin Chirtoaca said that the higher charges will ensure the normal work of the water supplier SA Apa-Canal Chisinau (ACC) , which has been disconnected monthly from the power supply owing to debts. The director of SA Apa-Canal Chisinau Constantin Becciev has told Info-Prim Neo that the CMC's decision represents a start in leveling up the water charges. “It is not normal for the household consumers to pay about five times less for a cubic meter of water than the economic entities. In the developed countries, it is the companies that are favored.” Owing to the economic and financial crisis, at the insistence of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the CMC modified the water charges after several years of controversial debates, adjusting them to the real conditions, the ACC director said. The charges were increased because the water supplier works at a loss , but also because international organizations imposed conditions in the framework of certain financial projects. The water and sewerage charges for household consumers and economic entities were calculated by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) and approved by CMC, while the industrial water tariffs were calculated and approved by the ANRE, in coordination with the CMC. In Balti town, the domestic consumers pay 10 lei per cubic meter of water and sewage, while the companies - 22 lei. In Cahul, the charges are 9 lei and 34 lei respectively.