Lawmakers on Thursday slammed the brakes on native authorities’ capacity to robotically elevate water provide charges by as much as 14 per cent, arguing that the central authorities ought to step in to plug any income gaps.
On the Home inside affairs committee, MPs amended laws referring to the brand new system of native authorities. They amended one regulation particularly by placing out a clause that allowed native authorities to hike water charges by as much as 14 per cent no matter a family’s consumption.
Talking to the media later, committee chair Aristos Damianou stated native authorities might want to have a look at their stability sheets and, the place any charge will increase are essential, they need to ask the state for assist.
Requested whether or not MPs would try the same constraint in relation to rubbish assortment charges, Damianou stated solely that this was as much as the Home surroundings committee.
“As for us within the inside affairs committee, our unanimous view is that the reform of native authorities shouldn’t entail a hike in charges and, if the necessity does come up for such hikes, it needs to be completed in session with the central state, in order that the state subsidises native authorities, quite than have residents decide up the tab.”
On a separate concern, the committee amended one other regulation that enables municipalities to retain accountability over harmful buildings till early October.
Usually this operate and accountability ought to have been transferred from the municipalities to the brand new district-level entities as of July 1, when the brand new system of native authorities kicks in.
But it surely was determined that the district-level entities usually are not but able to tackle this operate. As such, they may take cost of harmful buildings as of October 1.
