KCCI oppose exorbitant increase in water tariff

Karachi, August 11, 2011 (PPI): President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Muhammad Saeed Shafiq opposing the exorbitant increase in tariff by Karachi Water & Sewerage termed it a move to cover inefficiency of KWSB that has failed to collect water bills and check leakages pilferage.

“The decision of exorbitant increase in tariff was taken in my absence. This item of agenda was discussed before I joined the meeting. This should be absolutely clear that I, President KCCI, was not the party and did and cannot agree to this kind of unprecedented increase in water tariff,” he said in a letter to the Managing Director of KWSB on Thursday.

“I fully believe that this increase has been initiated to offset the inefficiency of KW&SB and collection of bills resulting into loss of more than 45 percent of the revenue in terms of failure of collection of due bills and in terms of water pilferage and leakages and certainly I cannot be a party where the decision has been taken to penalize the honest payer for the dishonesty of others.

“It seems that this proposal has been tabled to set the impact of unscrupulous elements stealing water and not paying the due bills, it will certainly strengthen the unscrupulous elements in the business and those honest users of water would be put to more uncompetitive.

“I specially want to emphasize that the value-added sector where water is a basic raw material cannot sustain this kind of an increase and KW&SB must reconsider its decision as bulk consumers they are also the backbone of the economy responsible for exports of more than 60 percent is subsisted to this kind of harsh treatment,” KCCI president said.

He urged MD, KWSB to stay this decision and sit down with KCCI along with the major water consuming industries representatives and bring rationale into the whole matter.