ALOR SETAR, Jan 17 — The water tariff adjustment for domestic category starting February 1 will not burden consumers in Kedah as a whole.
Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (SADA) in a statement today said in the usage of 10 cubic metres of waters and below, the increase in charges is only RM1.50.
However, SADA understands the hardship faced by some users and the company is implementing a targeted water subsidy programme for users who are in the hardcore poor category and are registered with the eKasih system.
“SADA will ensure that this tariff rate adjustment is in line with the improvement of service quality that provide continuous benefits to users,” it said.
The announcement of the water tariff adjustment by the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) today saw an average increase of 22 cents per cubic metre, implemented under the Tariff Setting Mechanism (TSM), which is the structure and components of water tariffs standardised for states in the Peninsula and Labuan and it will be reviewed every three years to ensure consistency in the determination of fees.
In the meantime, SADA said the tariff rate adjustment needs to be implemented to ensure the sustainability of the service and not for profit.
According to SADA, strong and sufficient financial resources will enable the company to develop sustainable water infrastructure projects thus improving water supply coverage throughout the state.
It added that the additional funds obtained from the tariff rate adjustment will be reinvested as capital expenditure costs (CAPEX) that have been planned to ensure the continuity of supply and services and meet the demand for water supply that continues to increase every year.
“For the year 2024, SADA has allocated a total of RM60.91 million involving operating expenses (Opex) and Capex for the purpose of developing and strengthening water assets by focusing on the construction of new infrastructure, the maintenance of mechanical and electrical assets and the replacement of old and obsolete piping systems, “ according to the statement.
According to SADA, the tariff rate adjustment for domestic category users in the state will come into effect from February 1 and the new tariff rate will be charged to users of the category involved starting from the next month’s bill. — Bernama
