Water tariff updated in Ankara: Higher bills for high consumption

The fifth session of the June meeting of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Council was held at the Municipal Council Conference Hall, chaired by First Deputy Speaker of the Council Ertan Işık.

During the meeting, where agenda items were voted on, the report of the Law and Tariffs Commission, which includes the determination of the tiered water tariff to be applied by the ASKİ General Directorate, was discussed.

The report stated that the application does not aim to generate any additional income or create new economic resources for ASKİ.

Noting that approximately 78 percent of residential subscribers will not be affected by the tiered tariff application at all, the report stated that the goal is to encourage residential subscribers with high consumption to save water.

It was stated that due to the decrease in the amount of water reaching the dams in Ankara, it was necessary to update the limits of the existing tiered tariff in order to protect water resources and turn water conservation awareness into a permanent habit in society.

"We will propose a 10 percent discount for those in the 0-10 cubic meter range"

Law and Tariffs Commission Chairman Burak Koç stated in his explanation regarding the report that they aim for water to be distributed fairly and equally in Ankara. Koç said, "It has become necessary to increase this tariff so that it is used in the most appropriate way during this period of scarcity. There will definitely be no reflection on the bills of normal families. We will provide a discount to the families who use the most water. Our only goal here is to encourage people to use water within this cubic meter range."

"There is a situation of insincerity here"

AKP Group Deputy Chairman Nihat Yalçın stated that raising water prices is not the right step in terms of providing savings. Yalçın said, "Before taking office, the Mayor (Mansur Yavaş) said many times that water prices were expensive, that he would make discounts, and that it was not right to make money from water. We have brought this to the agenda many times from this podium. However, since the day he took office, he has done his best to raise water prices at every opportunity. There is a situation of insincerity here."

News Source: 12punto