Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise (Nampapa Nakhon Luang) has announced it will increase water supply charges by four percent across all categories coming into effect this January.
The enterprise issued an announcement recently that requires households to pay in line with four rates – the more water is consumed the higher the rate households are required to pay.
Under the new rate, those households using not more than 10 cubic metres of water per month will have to pay 1,434 kip per cubic metre, an increase from the current 1,379 kip per cubic metre. Households consuming 11-30 cubic metres per month are required to pay 1,989 kip per cubic metre, an increase from 1,910 kip per cubic metre.
The consumption of between 31-50 cubic metres of water a month will require the payment of 2,538 kip per cubic metre, while those households using 51 cubic metres or more per month will pay 3,089 kip per cubic metre.
State organisations, foreign embassies and international organisations in Laos are required to pay only one rate regardless of the amount used. They are required to pay 2,538 kip per cubic metre, an increase from the current 2,440 kip.
Commercial use by businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, is also under one rate, which is the highest among all categories at 3,089 kip per cubic metre.
A technical official of Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise told Vientiane Times yesterday the increase in water charges was not implemented every year. She added that for many years before 2016 the fee had not been adjusted .
An official of the Water Supply Department under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said adjustments to water supply fees in different provinces would be considered and approved on a case-by-case basis following proposals from water supply enterprises in a province via the provincial authorities.
He explained the enterprise was required to submit a proposal to provincial authorities to consider before forwarding the proposal to his department to make recommendations if the proposed increase was appropriate and reasonable.
“If the proposed increase is too high, we will recommend lowering it [the proposed increase fee] to avoid adverse impacts on people’s living conditions,” the official said.
He added that the water supply is on the list of 48 controlled products whose fee adjustments needed to be approved by the relevant state sector before it could be increased to avoid a severe impact on people’s cost of living.
While water charges are on the increase, Electricite Du Lao (EDL), recently lowered its power fees for households.
Source: Vientiane Times
