The water charges are more political rather than economic, while the service providers sustain losses and are not interested in investing in the development of infrastructure. In order to further ensure the people’s access to water supply and sewerage services, the charges must be reviewed, Minister of the Environment Gheorghe Salaru said after a meeting of the Supreme Security Council. The meeting was called by President Nicolae Timofti to consider the country’s ecological security, IPN reports.
“80% of the water supply systems are close to bankruptcy. They sustain losses of 60% because the networks are old. We need investments, but the investors must see that they can recoup their money,” said Gheorghe Salaru. According to him, the Law on the Provision of Public Water Supply and Sewerage Services should be amended so that only economic aspects are taken into account when setting the tariff.
Official statistics shows that half of the country’s population does not have durable access to drinking water, while 90% of the rural population does not have access to wastewater treatment stations and sewerage systems.
The minister said that immediate measures should be taken as regards waste disposal. Currently, over 3,000 waste dumps occupy thousands of hectares of land, which is often fertile. There must be only eight regional waste dumps. Also, the Ministry aims to plant trees on about 80,000 heaters of land in concert with the Academy of Sciences, civil society and the Ecologist Movement.
“As regards the extension of the wooded areas, we need investments and we take into account the projects we can implement together with the donors and development partners. The environment strategy is being implemented. There were implemented hundreds of water supply and sewerage projects. As to waste, the sector strategy was already approved by the Government. We agreed with the Czech Development Agency and the German Agency for International Development to make feasibility studies in the south so as to determine where to locate the three waste dumps that would replace the 200 existing in this region,” said Gheorghe Salaru, adding that emphasis should be put on ecological education.
He also said that he will take part in the November 11 meeting of Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and the EBRD regional director, where there will be discussed the necessity of making investments in the Soroca-Balti water pipeline.
