Malaysia: Water tariff in Johor to go up by at least 10%

The Star 24 Sep 14;

JOHOR BARU: Water tariff in Johor is expected to go up by between 10% and 12% in the next few months due to the high cost of treatment.

The increase, said state Public Works, Rural and Regional Develop­ment Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad, was unavoidable, adding that this would take place either at the end of the year or early next year.

“We received a proposal from the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) for a 22% increase about a year ago,” he said after launching a seminar on the water services industry here yesterday.

“However, we put this on hold as we were looking at ways on how we could deal with this situation without burdening the consumers, especially with the rising costs of living.”

advertisement

Since the last water tariff increase in 2010, Hasni said the rate for electricity had gone up twice.

“Electricity plays a major factor in the operational costs of water treatment plants,” he pointed out.

At present, domestic users in Johor pay 60 sen for the first 20 cubic metres of water, RM1.65 for between 20 and 35 cubic metres of water and RM2.96 for over 35 cubic metres of water.

Johor, said Hasni, had also written to the Federal Government requesting for its RM1.3bil loan for the financing of water projects to be converted into a grant.

Most of the RM1.3bil, he said, was spent on rural infrastructure, which should be financed by the Federal Government, like in other states.

Johor to raise water tariff
Halim Said New Straits Times 24 Sep 14;

JOHOR BARU: WATER tariff in the state may go up by 10 to 12 per cent starting next year in a move to safeguard its water resources.

State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the increase was inevitable as the cost to safeguard its water resources from pollution had doubled over the years.

He said the last revision was in 2010, adding that the new tariff would allow the state government to better manage and protect its water resources and assets from constant pollution by agricultural activities.

“The new proposed tariff had been submitted to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) for review recently as SPAN had proposed a higher tariff for the state to impose,” he said after launching a Water Services Industry 2014 seminar at Persada Johor International Convention Centre here yesterday.

He said SPAN had pushed for the state government to raise the water rates to at least 22 per cent since last year in order for the state to better maintain its water resources.

“Our concern is if the rise in the new tariff will be too much for Johoreans to bear as the increase in living cost will definitely affect their livelihood. The Sembrong and Machap dams, for instance, face the threat of severe pollution due to modern agriculture in Kluang, resulting in rising costs.”

Hasni said the state government was addressing pollution by coordinating with the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj), Drainage and Irrigation Department, Forestry Department and the Land Office.

He added that the approval of amendments to the Water Enactment 2014 by the state legislative assembly would increase the effectiveness of water resource management enforcement agencies.

“The amendments will empower Bakaj directors to act against those who pollute water supply, including issuing compounds and empowering civil servants to help overcome the pollution in water resource areas.”