Rawalpindi: The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has decided to increase its tariff in a bid to meet operational expenditures – a news source reported.
WASA also plans to charge houses that are drawing water through tube wells.
The agency will separately charge every commercial outlet situated in more than 400 plazas across the city. Furthermore, it is contemplating collecting separate bills from each floor of five-marla houses.
The Punjab government previously declined WASA’s request for a bailout package of PKR 770 million. The agency had requested the package to overcome its financial crisis.
According to an official, WASA faces an annual deficit of PKR 1.3 billion. He further said that there are 115,000 water consumers currently present in the garrison city. At least 10,000 of these are commercial users. However, WASA makes most of its recovery from domestic consumers.
Moreover, both commercial and domestic consumers will now be charged separately. Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Arif Abbasi said that private housing schemes will also be brought into the tax net.
WASA presently collects PKR 190 per month from domestic consumers. In comparison, the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards charge PKR 550 per month for water consumption.
