Kostas Skrekas: water remains a public good, it will not be privatized

The assurance that water will remain a public asset was presented in parliament today by Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas.

Speaking in Parliament on the unconstitutionality petition filed by SYRIZA, he specifically noted that “water has been and remains a public good and is not privatized.” AND added that the bill under discussion is necessary because state monopolies must be under control and supervision, and also be regulated by the state in its pricing policy in order to protect consumers. Kostas Skrekas also emphasized the need for accountability of water management organizations and presented evidence for the need for supervision and control in this area.

“Nowhere in the House Scientific Report does it say that the provisions of the bill are unconstitutional,” – said Kostas Skrekas. He emphasized that the state does not delegate any powers to the regulatory body to plan water policy. “We delegate to the regulatory body only the powers of supervision and control. We in no way delegate the determination of tariff policy,” – he said.

He assured that privatization of water management organizations is not implied either in the present or in the future. According to Mr. Skrekas, there are currently 295 water utilities (ΕΥΔΑΠ). “Only 38% of them post the data they are supposed to, and we don’t even know if they systematically measure the quality of the water they provide to citizens. According to data declared by the water utilities themselves, their losses reach 62%. There are water utilities that, based on the data they report, charge citizens twice as much for water. An independent government regulatory body is public control.”– he said.

A rally against the bill was held on Constitution Square.

“Water is a social good, not a commodity” – emphasized in the statement of ΠΑΜΕ, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the bill of the Ministry of Environment and Energy “on further commercialization and privatization of water.”

PS The same thing was said a few years ago about electricity. After the privatization of the main electricity supply operator, the promised price reduction never happened…

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