The new scheme of calculating the tariff for cold water, which is to be introduced by the National Service Committee, will lead to the situation when 97% of population will pay for the other 3% and also for the mismanagement of municipal services. The tariffs are going to be following: for the first two cubes of consumption per person in month - 1.5 UAH, from 2 to 6 cubic meters - more, from 6 to 10 - even more, and after 10 - the maximum. This theme was discussed by the Director of Analytical Center "City institute" Oleksandr Serhiienko, leader of housing programs of the Civil Network OPORA Tetiana Boiko on December 15, 2011 in the information-analytical agency "Hlavkom" (“Chief directorate”).
The Director of Analytical Center "City institute" Oleksandr Serhiienko thinks, that this new principle of calculation brings us back in Soviet times, when, instead of going to economically justified tariffs, companies that produce cold water will be subsidized by the state. “It just corrupts communal service companies. What for do they need to introduce new technologies, modern water purification systems and equipment, if they can negotiate with the National Service Committee, and it will put the desired tariff? Besides that, the role of commission itself grows exceedingly. At the first sight it seems to loose its sense, because its objective was to examine the economic justification of tariffs, which submitted the company, and approve them. However, if the tariff is determined by gradation of consumption, why do we need this commission? It is necessary, but only to distribute state subsidies for covering expenses instead of determining the economically justified tariff. The corruption will increase dramatically with such scheme.” – explains Oleksandr Serhiienko.
“I think the new method is utopian, because we have no proper calculating system. Even existing meters are of different classes of accuracy. The total usage by all meters in apartments (if there are), will never coincide with a number on the building common meter, at least because of technical errors, not mentioning the amount of stolen water. Consequently, no matter if this method is good or bad, it can be realized only providing that there will be calculation of water usage, best of all, in electronic form: at the output of a water supply company and at the entrance to the building and in every single apartment. When half the population does not have meters with different accuracy levels, and the other half uses common meters for a building (they were separated to a “temporary” category, and most likely they will pay by the highest rate), than the method of calculation is incomprehensible,” – Tetiana Bioko comments upon the new scheme. Moreover, the leader of housing programs of CN OPORA is concerned to which category will be included Condominiums, which pay by the common meter of a building, It’s very probable that they will have to pay by the highest tariffs same as people which haven’t installed meters.
“Today we can't say what tariffs we'll have by a new scheme. I think that it won't be introduced. However, if tariffs will grow, there is objective reason for that - energy sources are rising in price. If gas will become more expensive, constraining tariffs will be possible only manually through compensations, but it can't last forever. World tendency shows that tariffs grow, no matter want we or not. In the near future the Civic Network OPORA, within the project “We want to know for what we pay!”, will send informational requests to producers of public services in order to know the size of their expenses, profit and turnover. After all, profits can include the investment component, which should be aimed at modernizing the industry. If there will be no modernization, than besides usual factors, the tariffs are going to be influenced by huge amounts of loses and worn systems.” – stated Tetiana Boiko.
The project “We want to know for what we pay!” is implemented with the financial support of the program "Rule of Law" of the International Renaissance Foundation