THE Penang government has agreed to the new water tariff structure to standardise the number of bands in the tariff mechanism.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said state was awaiting the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry’s decision on the standardisation move.
“Currently, each state has different water tariff with different number of bands (categories).
“If all the states in the country agree on the uniformity of the number of bands, then the second issue will be about determining their rates.
“The problem now is, each state has its own mechanism with some states having six or seven categories. The uniformity is to create three bands or categories to be used by all the states.
“However, it is up to each state government to decide the rate for each category,” Chow told reporters after officiating the ground-breaking ceremony of GEM Soho at GEM Sales Gallery in Jalan Baru, Prai, today.
He said that the new water tariff mechanism has yet to be finalised.
Chow was commenting on the recent statement by the Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar telling states which are against water tariff increase to submit their respective mechanisms to the ministry.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud