The Consumers' Protection Association has demanded that the Ministry of Water and Electricity conduct a comprehensive study on its plans to increase water utility rates before it introduces the new rates. Consumers' Protection Association head Sulaiman Al-Samahi said the association has contacted the Minister of Water and Electricity and asked that he reevaluate the decision of increasing water utility rates. "The increase must be well studied so it does not greatly affect families with middle to low income. The ministry must have accurate information on the amount of water the families and individuals consume and whether water waste is truly the fault of citizens or the fault of big corporations," said Al-Samahi. He added the ministry had not been transparent or consistent in its announcements and statistics on consumers. "The ministry first announced that the increase would not affect a wide portion of society. However, it then stated that 52 percent of consumers would never agree to pay more than SR1 a day for water. This piece of information is inaccurate and unreflective of the reality of Saudis and their water consumption," said Al-Samahi. He added the ministry should increase the prices gradually to allow consumers to adjust. "The ministry should carry out an evaluation on the effect of the price increase on consumers as the price is gradually being increased. Without a proper study and analysis of the consumption of water by Saudis, how will the ministry know if its strategy is having any effective role on water preservation?." He also said there have been many instances where consumers saw their water bills skyrocketing for no apparent reason. "Many consumers contacted the National Water Company claiming that their water bill had increased drastically. The ministry apologized for the glitch and compensated the consumers affected. The ministry should firstly find a permanent solution to inaccurate billing before implementing the new price increase," said Al-Samahi. A member from the Shoura Council Water, Agriculture and Environment Committee said the Minister of Water and Electricity met with the committee and gave a presentation proving the increase in water consumption despite the fact that the Kingdom is low on water supply. "The committee met with the minister to ensure that the new bill will not harm consumers. The minister proved through a presentation he gave that the individual consumption of water is high given the fact that the Kingdom has one of the lowest water supplies worldwide. In addition, the cost of production and transportation in the Kingdom is among the highest in the world," said the member.
