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To: Right to Water <right-to-water@lists.iatp.org>
From: svarghese@iatp.org
Date: 2004-05-09 13:11:22
Subject: No Free Water in Namibia
>No Free Water, Says Angula
> >
> > The Namibian (Windhoek)
> >
> > April 13, 2004
> >
> > Lindsay Dentlinger
> > Windhoek
> >
> > A TOP Government official has dismissed claims that water is
> > unaffordable for most Namibians and ruled out the possibility of the
> > precious resource being supplied free.
> >
> > Inaugurating the new board of water utility, NamWater, last week,
> > Minister of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, Helmut Angula,
> > said claims that Government was making water unaffordable had not
> > been considered within the broader context of social realities.
> >
> > "Water does not come cheap. It comes with a lot of investment," said
> > the Minister.
> >
> > "There is no way possible to provide free water in this country
> > otherwise the whole system will collapse."
> >
> > Angula, who compared the affordability of water to the purchase of
> > beer, said: "How much is the price of a 340 millilitre bottle of
> > beer? How many Namibians buy beer? We know how much that costs. Some
> > buy about seven a week. It is incredible how people make [others]
> > believe that water is not affordable in Namibia."
> >
> > Bulk water supply for pensioners, he said, was being sold by NamWater
> > at N$3,70 per cubic metre (1 000 litres) a month - about 30 cents
> > less than the standard rate of just over N$4,00.
> >
> > Angula also dismissed as "incredible propaganda" allegations that the
> > country's water provision system had been privatised through the
> > establishment of NamWater.
> >
> > NamWater, he said, would remain a wholly-owned State entity.
> >
> > "State remains state. It doesn't mean it [water provision] is
> > privatised because it [NamWater] charges its citizens," said Angula.
> >
> > NamWater itself maintains that it operates on a cost-recovery basis
> > and that all profits are ploughed back into building and maintaining
> > water infrastructure.
> >
> > Angula told the board that a new Water Bill was in the pipeline,
> > which would give rise to new institutions to regulate the industry -
> > among these an Independent Pricing Regulator to deal with issues of
> > affordability.
> >
> > He said it was the board's responsibility to ensure reliable and
> > affordable services to the company's clients and acceptable tariff
> > policies and structures.
> >
> > The NamWater board has been trimmed from nine to five members in
> > accordance with Government policy to increase the effectiveness of
> > parastatal boards.
> >
> > Engelhard Haihambo from the Engineering Council of Namibia was
> > elected Chairman of the board.
> >
> > Other members who will serve for the next three years are:Moses
> > Shakela, a NamWater employee; Abraham Nehemia to represent the
> > Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development; Nangula
> > Hamunyela from the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI);
> > and Jacobus du Toit from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
> > Namibia.
> >
> > They face the immediate challenge of introducing national increases
> > in water tariffs for next year in line with a Cabinet decision.
> >
> > Angula said this was so that the State could budget for its water
> > consumption ahead of the tabling of the annual Budget.
> >
> > According to the Minister, many Ministries and other State
> > institutions defaulted on water payments because increases were
> > introduced after their budgets had already been approved.
> >
> > The Minister said that water providers were faced with the challenge
> > of overcoming a cultural belief that water should be free of charge.
> >
> > Coupled with this, he said, were the broader social realities that
> > led to the non-payment of bills.
> >
> > He said the price of water would not be deemed exorbitant for
> > pensioners if they were only responsible for paying for their own
> > water consumption.
> >
> > Angula said critics should distinguish between the amount of water
> > needed for personal use and that needed for economic activities.
> >
> > According to NamWater, provision is made for a daily supply of 25
> > litres of water per person - more than the United Nations prescribed
> > amount of 15 litres per day.
> >
> > Angula said he could understand farmers' complaints that they were
> > unable to pay for water for their cattle but, on the other hand, they
> > were reluctant to reduce their livestock herds.
> >
> > According to NamWater, at present 80 per cent of Namibians have
> > access to potable water, while before it was established this figure
> > was only 60 per cent, up from 45 per cent at Independence
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