Greek Prime Minister Calls for Water Tariff Increase "adjustment"

Playing with words, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the upcoming water price hike an “adjustment.” He also said it was necessary due to water shortages.

On Thursday, Mitsotakis spoke of “adjusting to the level of inflation,” adding that “no one will notice.” Of course, Greeks have not forgotten that when the new electricity tariffs were introduced, his ministers claimed in the media that “the increase would be a few cents and no one would notice.” Six months later, Greeks have learned their lesson, seeing that the actual tariff increases are between 20 and 100 euros per month.

“We are not going to raise water prices,” Mitsotakis said in an interview Thursday morning. Talk Radio radio stations“Water in Greece was and will remain cheap for reasonable consumption, we will not change tariffs, the maximum will be an adjustment for the inflation rate, no one will notice it in their bill,” he tried to sell new mirrors to the natives of the country.

However, the day before, at a press conference with Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis, the tariff increase was presented as a measure to combat water shortages. According to a joint ministerial decision, there will be different prices for each region, as well as a special tariff for the most vulnerable groups.

The joint ministerial decision provides that Tariffs are determined by the supplier and controlled by the FSA, and cannot (as a rule) increase more than the harmonised index of consumer prices, although the same supplier can set different prices for each region.
It is also possible to set different prices by region, multi-level payment depending on consumption with the obligation that the first level is affordable and covers the vital needs of the population.

A special tariff is also envisaged for specific users, such as public social infrastructure, vulnerable households and large or three-child families, with mandatory consumption measurement three times a year.

How these measures will help the country cope with water shortages remains a mystery. For example, there are no restrictions on swimming pools, and this is tourism that brings in income.

P.S. At this rate, water supplies will also be privatized “It will be cheaper than when it was state-owned, just like electricity, because competition will drive prices down.” However, everything happens exactly the opposite… Electricity suppliers are following the good old tradition of creating price cartels, resulting in Greeks paying some of the highest prices in Europe, as evidenced by “Athens News” reported repeatedly.

At the same time, the authorities turn a blind eye to what is happening, since every official making a decision has a stake in these companies. If not directly, then in someone close to him. And this does not surprise anyone, since the leadership of the tax and special services are also involved in this the cycle of corruption.

Source link