• Says unable to meet expenses as only 50% settle Rs. 4 bn bills on time

Claiming that only approximately 50% of bills worth nearly Rs. 4 billion issued by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) are paid within a month, the NWSDB stated that it is currently facing difficulties meeting its expenses. Speaking to The Morning, NWSDB Deputy General Manager – Commercial Piyal Pathmanatha said: “The NWSDB usually issues bills worth about Rs. 4 billion every month. Only about 50% of that amount, which amounts to around Rs. 2 billion, is currently being paid by consumers within the allocated time period of one month. However, the NWSDB has to bear the relevant expenses within the particular month regardless, and therefore, we face difficulties due to delays in the recovery of bills.”

He said that the NWSDB has formulated several programmes to ensure the timely payment of water bills by customers such as the provision of a discount of 1.5% of the total bill amount for those who make the payments within two weeks of the issuance of the bill. In addition, he said that those who pay bills after 30 days of their issuance are required to pay an extra 2.5% of the total bill value as a penalty. 

“The consumers are given 30 days to settle their water bills. If they do not make the payments within this period, their water connection can be disconnected at any given time. Therefore, we request consumers make the payments on time. If they travel on a bus or purchase an item from the market, they are required to pay the bill immediately, but in this case, they are given a period of 30 days to make the payment,” noted Pathmanatha.

Speaking to The Morning on an earlier occasion, Pathmanatha highlighted that the increase in water tariffs in September 2022 was insufficient under present conditions, especially due to increases in electricity charges, fuel prices, and loan interest rates, adding that water tariffs will have to be increased further, but that no decision in this regard has been made as of yet. 

The factors to be considered on this basis, he said, include the need for a large electrical capacity for water pumping and distribution-related activities, the need for fuel for maintenance-related activities, and the fact that the NWSDB has to pay off large sums of debt obtained from the General Treasury.