Union of Municipalities wants new regulation on water charges to come into force on June, 1

The 77th General Assembly meeting of the Union of Turkish Cypriot Municipalities convened on Tuesday with the agenda of "water management and renewed water charges".

In a written statement made by the Union of Municipalities, it was stated that it was decided to make a request from the Council of Ministers to change the effective date of the "Rules (Amendment) Regulation on the Use, Distribution and Entitlement of Drinking Water and Agricultural Water, Determination and Collection of Fee Tariffs" to 1 June 2023. .

The decision taken at the General Assembly of the Union of Cyprus Turkish Municipalities is as follows:

The "Rules (Amendment) Regulation on the Use, Distribution and Entitlement of Drinking Water and Agricultural Water, Determination and Collection of Fee Tariffs" was announced in the Official Gazette dated March 30, 2023 and it is regulated that it will enter into force as of April 1, 2023.

To increase the cost of the water to be provided by the municipalities to their subscribers and to change the price tariffs, so that the fee to be paid by the municipalities to the state for drinking water can be paid incrementally; Each Municipal Assembly must take a decision on this issue and prepare a draft regulation on drinking water fee in accordance with the decision to be taken and submit it to the Council of Ministers for approval.

Although some municipalities have sent the draft regulation on water fee through the Ministry of Interior, their regulations containing changes in the tariffs have not yet been passed by the Council of Ministers and are waiting to be passed.

The General Management Board of the Union of Municipalities, in any case, in order to ensure that the regulations regarding the water fees submitted to the relevant Ministry are published in the Official Gazette and come into force, and in order to enable the Municipalities whose by-laws are still being prepared, to complete their preparations and send them to the relevant Ministry for the legalization of their wage regulations. Making a request to the Council of Ministers to change the effective date of the Regulation on the Use, Distribution and Entitlement, Determination and Collection of Fee Tariffs (Amendment) as 1 June 2023;

In addition, taking into account the cost calculations, in order not to increase the cost of living, a request is made to review and lower the unit prices determined in the amendment regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 30 March 2023;

Likewise, taking into account the high cost of wells operated by municipalities and the continuing increase in electricity etc. expenses, a request be made to the Council of Ministers to lower the unit prices in this scope and to re-determine them until 1 June 2023 in any case; The General Assembly of the Union of Municipalities decides unanimously.”

Yeniduzen