WATER RATES IN SOFIA MAY GO UP BY 18%

Final decision on the percentage of increase of the price of water in Sofia will be made on 28th of February, the Chair of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission Ivan Ivanov said on 3rd of February after a discussion of EWRC report with estimates. The new increased price will come into force as of 1st of March.

EWRC held its first public discussion of the demanded increase of the water price.

The Federation of Consumers threatened they would demand the Chair of the regulator EWRC Ivan Ivanov to step down and said they would organize protests outside the building if he allowed the price of water to go up by nearly 32 stotinki per cubic metre.

resignation and vowed to organize protests in front if he allowed the price of water supply service to jump from the first of March approximately 32 cents per cubic meter.

Civic organizations described the new price as concocted with the sole purpose to cover the loan made by Sofiyska Voda (Sofia Water) worth 52 million euros and estimated that Sofia residents would have to pay 3 million BGN per year to repay the loan. The representative of Sofia Municipality said that currently, they were not drafting a standpoint to respond to the proposed rates.

For their part, representatives of the condominium strongly resented the idea of debt collection firms to collect receivables. The only remark by the trade unions was that given the profit was 64 million BGN, the salaries remain miserably low.

All organizations and individuals who participated in the discussion can deposit their views to the Commission in writing.

In the final report that will be discussed, they will receive reasoned replies, no matter whether their proposal is adopted or not, Ivan Ivanov said.