Two Groups Expected To Be Spared From Water Tariff Hike - Exco

SHAH ALAM, July 10 (Bernama) -- Two categories of consumers in Selangor are expected to be spared from the upcoming water tariff hike, said state Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim.

He said the two categories are recipients of the Skim Air Darul Ehsan (SADE) free water programme, which covers the B40 group, as well as domestic and commercial users who consume less than 20 cubic metres of water.

He said the adjustment marks the second phase of the water tariff increase, which came into force on Feb 1, 2024.

“The increase is being implemented in stages. The first phase, which took place earlier this year, involved the commercial sector, with a slight adjustment for domestic users.

“For this second phase, it was initially planned for July 1, but there has been a slight delay. We are now awaiting approval from the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) to proceed,” he told reporters at Wisma Dewan Negeri Selangor today.

On Jan 19 last year, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced the new water tariff rates for over eight million consumers, effective Feb 1, 2024. The adjustment covers 2,661,743 accounts, including domestic and non-domestic users, ranging from houses of worship and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to multinational corporations.

According to Amirudin, the minimum charge for domestic users, including low-cost housing, condominiums, estates, and government quarters, will increase slightly from RM6 to RM6.50.

Commenting further, Izham said the state government had submitted an application to SPAN to raise water tariffs, but the process was implemented in stages since last year due to the large number of consumers involved.

He explained that the water utility company had been operating at a loss, as tariffs had not been adjusted for a long time.

“That’s why we applied for a tariff increase, to ensure that Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) can continue operating effectively. Currently, a significant amount of expenditure is required for water management,” he said.

Earlier today, the Selangor government held an engagement session with SPAN to discuss water regulation issues in the state.

The session, led by Amirudin and attended by Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor), was held in conjunction with the visit of SPAN chairman Datuk Abdul Kadir Mohd Din to the Menteri Besar’s office.

Yesterday, SPAN, in a statement, disclosed that it had received applications from water service operators in 10 states to review their respective water supply tariffs.

As of June 30, applications had been received from operators in Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, and Selangor.

SPAN, however, clarified that all applications are still under review and no decisions have been finalised.

-- BERNAMA