Dhaka WASA has proposed to increase the price of water by at least 20 percent. WASA has no objection if the government wants to increase it beyond the proposed price.
Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan disclosed the proposed price hike while exchanging views with reporters at the Buriganga Hall of WASA office in the capital on Wednesday.
“At present, ordinary people have to buy water at the rate of Tk 15.18 per 1,000 liters for residential purposes. However, its production cost is about Tk 25. Water is currently being sold with subsidy,” he said.
The Dhaka WASA MD said that in the board meeting, the price of water can be increased by a maximum of 5 percent. However, self-sufficiency is needed. Therefore, to adjust the cost of production, it was necessary to propose to increase the price of water to a minimum of 20 percent or higher.
“The price increase and at what percent or how much subsidy will be given is a matter for the government. We will fix the price according to what the government will determine,” he said.
However, the production cost of the water that is being sold to the people at Tk 15.18 at present is about Tk 25. It is proposed to increase the price of water mainly to reduce the subsidy, he added.
Earlier, Dhaka WASA had twice increased the price of water at the residential and commercial levels in the last two years. However, a majority of the board members at the meeting opposed the proposal to increase water prices during the pandemic. WASA water prices have been increased 14 times since 2009.
The current price of one thousand liters of water as the commercial connection is Tk 42, which has been proposed to increase to Tk 58.8.
After the latest increase in the price of water by Dhaka WASA last year, the price of one thousand liters of water for residential customers rose from Tk 14.46 to Tk 15.18. The price of commercial connection was increased from Tk 40 to 42.
