Water utilities received 349 million lek in subsidies - The money was used to settle energy bills and help customers in need
Water utilities received 349 million lek in subsidies from the state budget last year, marking an increase of 39 million lek compared to the previous year.
According to data from the Water Regulatory Authority, the money was distributed to the 14 regional companies created, as well as to the Tirana and Vora waterworks, leaving only the Kamza waterworks without subsidies.
The distribution for 2024 was made according to a new guideline, which determined that the subsidies that water supply and sewage companies receive from the state should be used to settle electricity bills and compensate for the minimum vital amount of water for families in need.
This is different from last year, where the priority was to settle emergency liabilities that were hindering the normal operation of the company. In addition to electricity, this also included the settlement of arrears for social security or employee salaries.
Meanwhile, the compensation of the minimum amount of water for families in need was included for the first time in the instruction, specifying that for these categories the value of 5 m³/month of water is deducted from the bill. To benefit from the subsidy for the settlement of electricity bills, priority was given to companies that have over 75% of their production with mechanical lifting.
According to the WRA, this criterion was applied to subsidize the Regional Companies: Durrës, Elbasan, Fier, Berat, Shkodër and Vlorë.
Referring to the total value of subsidies for 2024, it results that 91.2% were distributed for electricity costs and only 8.8% were distributed to the needy.
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