Bulgaria’s Ombudsperson requests that oversight body does not approve water price increase

Bulgaria’s Ombudsperson Diana Kovacheva on July 27 wrote a sharp statement to the Chairman of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Ivanov, urging him not to approve the higher water prices in the country for the new regulatory period 2022-2026. The Ombudsperson's thesis is that they do not correspond to the quality of the service provided and are therefore unfounded.

In July 2021, the water supply and sewerage operators, with the exception of Sofiyska Voda AD and ViK AD, Dobrich, announced their proposals for approval of prices of water supply and sewerage services for the forthcoming regulatory period 2022-2026 , also announced on the website of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission on 26.07.2021. As ombudsperson called upon to observe the rights and interests of the members of the public, I am deeply concerned about the significant increase in water prices envisaged in all announcements, " Assoc. Prof. Kovacheva wrote.

In her statement she emphasized that the percentage increase of the complex price of the water supply and sewerage service for 2022 compared to the current one varies from 80% (for ViK-Sliven OOD) to 4% (for ViK-EOOD, Haskovo), and for 2026 - from 127% (for Sliven district) to 11% (for Lovech district).

"I would like to emphasize that the ombudsperson's institution continues to receive dozens of complaints from all over the country about water that does not meet the legal quality requirements (increased alpha activity, manganese content, turbid, floating particles, etc.). , which, however, is paid as for drinking and its price increases unreasonably every year ", the ombudsperson points out.

Diana Kovacheva draws attention to the fact that over the years the problems are not solved, and the citizens rightly protest to get their attention, as their main request is to receive quality plumbing service at a reasonable price.

In conclusion, Assoc. Prof. Diana Kovacheva insists in the conditions of publicity and transparency, the regulator EWRC to protect the interests of consumers and the prices of water supply and sewerage services not to become a factor deepening poverty and social exclusion.