GERB-UDF: New Government, New Water Price

Water prices are set to increase significantly at more than 20 water utilities across Bulgaria, Nikolay Nankov of GERB-UDF said in Parliament on February 26.

“From today, utilities across the country are rapidly notifying consumers of water price increases from 1 March. Prices will rise at more than 20 operators. New government, new water price,” Nankov said.

He argued that the government and the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works have the authority to prevent the increases approved in December by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission from taking effect.

“Following explicit instructions from former minister Ivan Ivanov, to whom I must express my thanks, he heeded our call in December when we urged that the prices set by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission should not come into force, and water utilities have continued billing consumers at the old rates.

It is neither normal nor fair that where water quality has deteriorated, where the characteristics are worse and the water runs muddy, where there are countless breakdowns and regional cities spend entire months under water restrictions, prices should be increasing.”

He recalled that it falls within the powers of any Regional Development Minister to instruct water utilities not to apply the new tariffs and instead to continue charging the old prices.

Nikolay Nankov of GERB-UDF:
“I will give examples: Kardzhali — over 13.6%; Blagoevgrad — over 12%; Ruse — over 9%; Veliko Tarnovo — over 8.8%; and the striking case of Shumen — over 8.7%, where only a few days ago we had water restrictions. Pleven faces an increase of over 7.5%, and Lovech nearly 5%, even though both were under restrictions throughout the summer.”

He added that in the next parliament GERB-UDF will propose the creation of a mechanism to compensate household consumers when water quality deteriorates.