Chamber warns portuenses about “enormous increase in water” by … – publico

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
                         

Ten mayors of the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) already had said in a joint position, and Rui Moreira takes it now, again, in a letter to portuenses citizens: a ‘betrayal’ of the government will result ” an enormous increase in the consumer price of water, which could reach 40%. “

                     

                         The warning from Porto mayor will follow, from this Friday, with the water bills for city dwellers. As invoices are bimonthly and not all are issued at the same time, the cards must continue to reach consumers’ homes in the next two months. In the letter, Moreira argues that “the government imposed forcibly merged companies selling water to municipalities, extinguishing the Douro Water and Paiva”, owned 49% by the municipalities. The Independent explains that local investors consider this government decision “illegitimate” and arguments based on “false”.

As was mentioned in the joint position taken by ten shareholders municipalities of Douro e Paiva Waters, Rui Moreira He argues for consumers “it is false invoked the assumption that the new company [that will result from the merger organized by the Government] would create synergies leading to the saving public money and future tariff reductions.” The accounts of the municipalities point rather to “the waste of 13.5 million euros.” Similarly, he adds, “is also true that all this will serve to standardize tariffs and that, inside, the water is more expensive.”

On top of all this there is “political reasons and principle “to consider, which lists Moreira in the letter:” It is a unilateral process, decided against Local Government; It is against the much publicized decentralization of powers; violates the Companies Act (…); It is an unacceptable way to penalize the merit that this and other municipalities have in the creation and development of the Douro Water company and Paiva, SA; ignores the huge investments and efforts made over decades by a number of municipalities; viola, crudely, the fundamentals of utility and public service. “

These are arguments that lead the mayor to classify the water sector of the restructuring process as” a betrayal of political commitments made in the past relation to a significant number of municipalities “. The same approach had already been taken, for about two weeks, the authorities of Porto, Arouca, Thorn, Oliveira de Azeméis, Matosinhos, Walls, Santa Maria da Feira, São João da Madeira, Vila Nova de Gaia and Valongo.

Several municipalities, including the Port, are challenging the governmental process in court. But Moreira mentioned in the letter to the citizens that fighting the authorities is being fought “with unequal arms” and reinforces the warning: “Once implemented, the will of the government will lead to an inevitable and huge increase in the price of water to consumers” .