Penang told to seek the people’s views on 100pc surcharge increase
GEORGE TOWN: The National Water Services Commission Malaysia (SPAN) has yet to decide on whether to allow or bar the Penang government from implementing a 100 per cent increase in water conservation surcharge for consumers statewide.
Its chairman, Datuk Liang Teck Meng, said it had asked the state government to look at the surcharge and water tariff before providing SPAN with its feedback.
Liang said SPAN advised the state government to conduct a public consultation exercise over its plans to the surcharge by 100 per cent.
“Ultimately, it is up to the people to decide whether they are willing to accept the increase.
“Our advice to the state government is to carry out a public consultation and explain to us the rationale for the increase.
“This will then be tabled to the cabinet for a final decision,” Liang said after a working visit to the Batu Ferringhi sewage treatment plant here yesterday.
Present were SPAN chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Ridhuan Ismail, Indah Water Consortium (IWK) chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang and IWK acting chief executive officer Mohamed Haniffa Abdul Hamid.
It was reported that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said the state government planned to increase the water conservation surcharge from 48 sen to RM1 per 1,000 litres above 35,000 litres of water used to reduce domestic water usage.
He had said the state government’s move to penalise consumers through the surcharge had failed to reduce daily water usage per capita.
When contacted by the New Straits Times, State Public Works, Utility and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said he would leave the response to the chief minister.
Earlier, Liang said the increased capacity of the Batu Ferringhi sewage treatment plant would negate occurrences of pollution outbreaks in the sea off Batu Ferringhi.
He said the RM44 million project was to increase the sewage capacity from 30,000 to 60,000 users.
“We have done our part, and we urge other agencies to also play their role to ensure the sea off Batu Ferringhi is free from pollution.”
In February 2014, NST had ran a series of articles on pollution blighting the beach, barely a month after the launch of Visit Malaysia Year then.