Rural water prices have not been adjusted in Dien Chau, Yen Thanh and Hung Nguyen.

At the meeting, the Provincial People's Committee listened to and commented on the draft Regulation on clean water consumption prices in rural areas managed, operated and exploited by the Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation.

Currently, in Nghe An province, there are more than 500 rural water supply works supplying more than 79,163 households, operating with a total design capacity of 52,715 m³/day and night in 16 districts. In which, the Provincial Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation is a revenue-generating public service unit, currently assigned to organize, manage, operate and exploit a number of concentrated domestic water supply stations in 3 districts: Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Hung Nguyen.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong chaired the meeting. Photo: Thu Huyen

Currently, the price of clean water in rural areas is applied by water supply stations under the Center based on the price frame in the Decision on clean water price in Nghe An province, mainly the price agreed between the locality, people and the Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation of the province. Specifically: Hung Nguyen 7,200 VND/m³; Dien Chau and Yen Thanh districts are 6,100 VND/m³.

According to the draft, the Regulation on clean water consumption price in rural areas managed, operated and exploited by the Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation in the above 3 localities is 6,600 VND/m³.

The above price includes value added tax, forest environmental protection service fee is 52 VND/m³but does not include environmental protection fees for domestic wastewater as prescribed. The input raw water cost is included in the consumption price of the above clean water product at 900 VND/m³.

Director of the Provincial Police Nguyen Huu Cau spoke about the need to create a common clean water price framework for rural areas. Photo: Thu Huyen

According to the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Xuan Dai, the principle of calculating all input costs correctly and fully: Raw water price (with quite large changes, from 600 VND/m³Now according to Decree 67, raw water price increased to 900 VND/m³); there are also other costs. This price is reasonable and within the price regulated by the Ministry of Finance (from 2,000-11,000 VND/m³) and lower than other localities. With this price, the budget will also reduce the loss compensation for irrigation companies.

However, many departments: Industry and Trade, Construction, Provincial Police... said that: in the province there are 500 rural clean water projects but the draft only mentions the solution of clean water price for 1 unit, the Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation, in 3 districts of Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Hung Nguyen, which is unreasonable.

Considering that this Center does not represent all other areas, Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh - Director of the Department of Science and Technology analyzed: Currently, all districts have water plants but there are no price regulations. In rural areas, branch roads are very long, the investment is large, and the loss is large, so it needs to be carefully surveyed, and should not be calculated only for the Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation. Therefore, it is necessary to issue a framework for factories in the whole province, from which factories negotiate with people according to the prescribed framework.

People in Hamlet 1, Hung My, Hung Nguyen use clean water. Photo: Thu Huyen

Disagreeing with the draft, Colonel Nguyen Huu Cau - Director of the Provincial Police emphasized: We should only make a framework, make it overall for rural areas, not stop at just making it for each enterprise. We should not follow enterprises in the issue of regulating clean water prices.

Concluding this content, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong said that regulating water prices for rural areas is important to move towards socializing investment in clean water projects to ensure the interests of 3 parties: people, investors and the State. However, the draft only regulates rural areas of 1 management unit, which is unreasonable. Therefore, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Finance to advise and issue an official dispatch requesting rural clean water supply units in the province to develop clean water prices to submit to the Provincial People's Committee at the meeting next June.