Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh on Friday announced a series of measures to bring relief to Guyanese including the reduction of water rates.
During his presentation of the 2021 budget to the National Assembly, Minister Singh underscored that water is essential to daily activities, both at the residential and the commercial level.
To this end, he revealed a 5% reduction in water tariffs across the board, targeting all levels of consumers.
According to the Finance Minister, Guyanese were burdened with the value-added tax (VAT) that was imposed on water consumption while the water subsidy for pensioners had been stripped – all at the hands of the APNU/AFC coalition.
Nevertheless, he noted that within two months after taking office in August 2020, the PPP/C Government undertook steps to reverse these harsh measures including restoring the water subsidy to senior citizens from which some 28,270 have benefitted thus far.
In addition, Dr Singh posited that the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has prepared a new 5-year strategic plan for the period 2021-2025 which is aligned with national priorities and advances the Government’s mission to provide clean, reliable and affordable water with emphasis on increasing access to treated water coverage to 90 per cent, reduction of non-revenue water (NRW), the modernisation of the sanitisation infrastructure network, integrated water resource management and wastewater treatment.
At the end of 2020, some $2.7 billion was expanded on several projects under the water sector and this year, another $4 billion has been allocated to procure equipment and improve and expand the water supply network systems across the country.
The Finance Minister added that provision was made for the drilling of new wells along with the upgrading of photovoltaic systems, storage facilities, distribution networks and service connections across Regions One, Three, Seven, Eight and Nine. Further, the upgrading of distribution networks across Regions Eight and Nine will be undertaken.
Another $275 million has been budgeted in 2021 to address the issue of non-revenue water with the procurement and installation of 20,000 water meters for Residential and Business Areas across the country. Additionally, $200 million has been allocated to expand the Sophia, Eccles, Covent Garden, Grove, Friendship and Vergenoegen water treatment plants to benefit over 50,000 residents.
Further, Government will upgrade the transmission mains between Church to Cummings Streets and Cemetery Road to Mandela Avenue benefiting over 35,000 residents, and has allocated $100 million to procure electromechanical equipment for the rehabilitation of water production facilities.
