PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin has called out Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar on his statement that the federal government was considering increasing water tariff rates this year.
The former youth and sports minister said it was instead the prerogative of the respective states to propose any new rates to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).
“It’s for state governments to propose to SPAN, not the other way around,” he said in a tweet posted today.
“Minister should not pre-empt state governments as water is a state matter. SPAN should not be sending states a business plan to consider.”
Xavier had, on Tuesday, said rates might be increased in stages this year, in line with the government’s efforts to restructure the water supply services industry and that it was necessary to ensure good water quality was provided.
He assured that the increase in rates would not burden the rakyat, adding that the federal government was currently working with SPAN and discussing the matter with the state governments to get their agreements.
Xavier added that the ministry has forwarded the business plan to the state governments, and that the latter were in the midst of discussions.
Khairy also noted a hansard recording of Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili in Parliament, clarifying how water tariffs in the country were determined, that it should “not be from federal to state, but state to SPAN”.
In the hansard, Maximus had explained that any proposal for an increase in tariff should come from the state and that it was not true that the federal government was the one responsible in determining the rates.
“The operators (states) will propose to SPAN, and SPAN will review the proposed rates before it is being implemented,” he said.
