By Wezzie Gausi:
Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) is against the move by Blantyre Water Board (BWB) to increase the water tariff for consumers.
This comes at a time the board has increased its water tariffs without informing consumers.
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In a statement signed by Cama Executive Director John Kapito, the consumer watchdog says water is a commodity that must never be used to discriminate against consumers, especially the poor.
He, therefore, says inconsiderate water tariffs negatively affect poor consumers and that it is important that the Ministry of Water and Sanitation should realise that “careless high tariffs” have a trigger-negative effect on prices of myriad goods and services on the market.
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“The process demands good balancing to avoid hurting poor consumers, who are already struggling with the current high cost of living amidst experiencing various health pandemics such as cholera and others.
“Water tariff increases are regulated by an Act of Parliament that demands gazetting any water tariff increase to allow consumers to comment [on the issue] and to be made aware of any tariff adjustment and it is from this premise that we are requesting your ministry to provide us with information if, indeed, you have approved and gazetted for a new water tariff [increase] to Blantyre Water Board and any of the water boards and the percentage of such an increase,” Kapito said.
BWB Chief Executive Officer Robert Hanjahanja said the tariff structure offers guidance on that.
“We would like to refer you to our current tariff structure, which you can access on our website or our BWB Madzi mobile app. The details are clear and self-explanatory.
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“We, however, are unable to comment on Cama’s letter to the Ministry as it is between the two parties. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation and/or Cama are better placed to respond to that,” he said.
INCREASE
Recently, in an interview, Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change Chairperson Welani Chilenga said the minister has power to, according to the law, enact tariff hikes in the country.
He said the committee has been consulted more than three times on the issue of raising tariffs.
“We, as a committee, share their concerns to hike water tariffs. However it is not all water boards that require the tariff hikes.
“For instance, Blantyre and Central Region water boards are the ones that have been highly hit. These water boards may collapse if they are not helped urgently,” Chilenga said.
Meanwhile, reports from Consumers indicate that BWB has already started implementing these new unannounced tariffs.
The 2021 tariff structures showed that BWB consumers were to pay 40 percent more while customers of Southern Region Water Board would have to brace a 50 percent hike, with those of Central Region Water Board being hit by a 65 percent rise.
