WASA proposes to hike water prices by 20pc

Staff Correspondent: Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has proposed to increase the price of water by at least “20 percent”, said Dhaka WASA Managing Director (MD) Taksim A Khan. “WASA has no objection if the government wants to increase the price more than that.”
Dhaka WASA MD said people, at present, have to buy water at the rate of Tk 15.16 per 1,000 liters in residential areas. However, its “production cost is about Tk 25”. Currently, we are selling water with a “subsidy”.
Dhaka WASA MD Taksim A Khan said this while exchanging views with journalists at Buriganga Hall of WASA Bhaban in the capital yesterday.
Taksim A Khan confronted the journalists to give the overall information about the proposal to increase the price of water.
“We can increase the price of water by a maximum of 5 percent in our board meeting,” said Dhaka WASA MD. “We want to be self-sufficient.”
Therefore, to adjust the cost of production, we have proposed to increase the price of water from a “minimum of 20 percent to a higher percentage”. This will reduce government subsidies, he also said.
“What percentage of the government will increase the price of water, and how much subsidy will be given is a matter for the government,” Taksim A Khan said.
We will fix the price as per what the government will determine. However, the production cost of the water that is being sold to the people at Tk 15.18 is Tk 25. It has been proposed to increase the price of water “mainly to reduce the subsidy”, Dhaka WASA MD added.

Meanwhile, Dhaka WASA has proposed to increase the price of water at the WASA board meeting on Monday (February 7). Earlier, Dhaka WASA had twice increased the price of water at the residential and commercial levels in the last two years.

According to sources, it has been proposed to increase the price of water in another phase, however, a majority of the 13-members at the board meeting “opposed” the proposal to increase water prices during the COVID period.

WASA water prices have been increased a total of 14 times since 2009. At present, the price of 1,000 liters in residential areas is Tk 15.18. WASA board meeting has proposed to increase it to “Tk 21.25”. Besides, in the case of commercial connection, the current price of water for every 1,000 liters is Tk 42, it has been proposed to increase the price to Tk 58.6.

It is learned that the proposal to increase the price will be sent to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) later. If there is approval in this regard, then the price of water will increase. The new water price will be effective from July 1.