South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Mps in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Wednesday issued summonses to the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Governor of Central Equatoria State and the Managing Director of Water Urban Corporation and the Mayor of Juba City Council to answer queries concerning the increase in water price in the city.
Water tankers are now selling one drum of water between 6,000 to 7,000 SSP compared to the previous fee of 5,000 SSP.
Oliver Mori Benjamin, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Information and Communication said the summoned officials are expected to appear before MPs next week to clarify on the issue.
“Parliament decided that the Minister of Water, the Governor of Central Equatoria, the Mayor of Juba City Council, and the Urban Water Corporation both must appear in the House next week on Monday, so that they come to clarify this issue of the water to the House,” Mori told journalists after the parliamentary sitting in Juba.
Mori said the hike in water prices irked MPs who said the issue should be treated with urgency since water is life.
“Some of the water stations are just close to the residential areas of the citizens in the town, and yet a barrel is being charged at 6,000 SSP for a drum, while the distance from the collective point to the residential areas in other places is less than even 100 meters,” he disclosed.
Khaid Abdallah, MP representing Raja County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State who raised the motion accused water tankers of ripping off citizens.
“A drum of water is sold at 6,000 SSP and yet they are filling at stations at 500 SSP, the tanker takes 30 drums and 1 liter of fuel is 6000 SSP and a tanker takes 1 litter to Gudule, going and coming is like 12,000 SSP plus 15,000 SSP for filling a tanker, the cost becomes 27,000 SSP,” Abdallah said.
He said a drum of water is being sold in Gudule and Gurei suburbs at 7,000 SSP.
Peter Lomude Francis, MP representing Yei River County on the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) ticket stressed the need to regulate water prices in Juba.
“Some people within Urban Water have contracted their individual companies, and these companies are collecting money for themselves, not for the government. I have the details of these companies within all these stations in Juba,” Lomude said.
