Domestic

Home page

Domestic

Azerbaijani parliamentâ€™s press service clarifies claims that text of law on â€œWater supply and sewageâ€ was changed afterwards

22 December 2009 09:00 (UTC +04:00)

The parliamentâ€™s press service told APA that some pro-opposition media began slanderous campaign against the steps taken in the countryâ€™s legislative body to strengthen the social protection of the population.
â€œThe law on amendments to the laws on â€œElectric energyâ€, â€œGas supplyâ€, â€œWater supply and sewageâ€ adopted in the parliament on September 30 is regarded almost as a crime by some oppositionists and pro-opposition media. They accuse official state bodies and state officials of forgery, claim that there are differences between the text of the law adopted by the parliament and the text published in media. Actually, the document initiated by the head of state aims to regulate the problems in energy, gas and water supply, solve the disputable issues in favor of the people.â€

The press service says there have been a number of shortcomings in this field.
â€œIf one had debts for electricity, gas and water, the supply of the whole building was cut off and the other users suffered from this. From now on it will be prevented. Sanctions will be applied individually. The supply of the user, who does not pay, will be cut off. According to the new law, the users pay for the electricity and gas basing on the meter indicators.â€

The press service says according to the text of the document received by the parliament, the meters must be installed for all the users by the supplier company.
â€œDuring the discussion of the bill at the meetings of the committee for natural resources, energy and ecology on September 17 and September 30, 2009, parliamentarians said this item does not fully express the material interests of the supplier companies.

So Azerenergy, SOCAR, Azerigas Production Association and Azersu are joint stock companies of different types and it is not correct economically for them to â€œfinancially supportâ€ the benefited legal entities in the installation of the counters because there are tens of factories, plants, large companies, wedding houses, restaurants, large trade and entertainment centers, and other profitable enterprises, which uses several special counters to meet their needs. Those counters are more expensive than common ones. It is more acceptable economically to install these counters for account of legal entities. But population should be provided with the free counters â€“ for account of providersâ€.

The parliamentarians also focused attention on the installation of water counters. â€œThe water counters have different technology of installation: gas and energy counters are installed outside the apartments on the wall pipelines, but water counters are required to be installed on the internal pipelines, which causes dismantling of newly-repaired networks and walls and concerns of apartment owners and additional expenditures. Therefore it is proposed to install these counters during the repair works in the apartment. Until the installation of water counters, the population should pay water fees on the basis of existed tariffs, 1.32 AZN per capita in the large cities and 1.02 AZN in the towns. It is acceptable to provide services in this sphere according to the existed rules to strengthen social protection of poor peopleâ€, said the report.

60.3 per cent of subscribers in Baku were provided with the water counters so far. â€œTotally this figure is 41.5 per cent throughout the country. Baku city was completely provided with the counters in the next two years, but in the regions, it will be carried out within the projects based on loans given by the international financial institutes. The counters will be installed free for the population. The parliament committee considered it expedient to amend the draft law and coordinated it with the initiator of the bill at the meeting on September 30. Indeed this law was directed to the strengthening of civil relations in the society and clear expression of the rights and duties of the parts of economic relationsâ€.