Chittagong Water Supply And Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is hiking water prices for the second time this year.
The utility company is increasing the rate for residential customers by Tk5 per unit and for commercial customers by Tk5.18 per unit. Previously, the service company increased the cost of water in January of this year.
Earlier, in January, Wasa raised residential customers' prices by Tk0.62 per unit and commercial customers' prices by Tk 1.52 per unit.
The rate of water per unit after the price increase is Tk13 for residential and Tk31.82 for commercial.
In the same year, Wasa increased the price for the second time by Tk18 per unit for residential and Tk37 for commercial.
According to sources, the law allows Wasa to increase the price of water by 5% per year with the approval of the board.
However, if authorities want to increase by more than 5%, they must obtain government approval.
As a result of the stoppage of government subsidies, the rise in production costs, and the rush to repay loans, a 16% increase in residential and a 38% increase in commercial prices were recently sought.
In view of this, the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operative's Local Government Department issued a notification regarding the increase in the price of Chittagong Wasa water.
Wasa Managing Director AKM Fazlullah stated in this regard that the overall production cost of water has now increased. “There is also the matter of the subsidy ban. In addition, there is a rush to repay the loan. Overall, the price of water has to be raised. However, we are also discussing cost-cutting measures,” he added.
Chittagong Wasa currently has 78,542 residential customer connections and 7,767 commercial connections.
They reported that the rate of water per unit in 2009 was Tk5.41 for residential and Tk15.32 for commercial.
In 2014, the residential water rate was Tk6.90 and commercial water was Tk19.59.
In 2020, the residential water rate was Tk12.40, while commercial water was Tk30.30.
Lastly, in January of this year, the residential rate was fixed at Tk13 and the commercial rate was set at Tk31.82.
