The price of water is formed with the consent of the Energy Regulatory Agency, and the final judgment is made by local parliaments, said the Association of Water Utilities of Montenegro, stating that the address for the call to accountability is wrong.
The Water Utilities Association said that, for the umpteenth time, they have been forced to respond to attacks directed at company management that have been taking place in recent days.
"And whose goal is to avoid the responsibility of those who have really led to this, very challenging situation regarding the sustainability of service providers in the water sector and thereby caused an increase in the price of services that directly affect the quality of life of the citizens of Montenegro," the statement says.
The Water Supply Association said that they have been warning for several years that a worrying situation could arise due to the legal and regulatory framework defined in this way, which is what is being witnessed today.
As they stated, there has been no reaction to calls for all stakeholders operating in this area to come together and work together to find the best solution for creating a favorable business environment in the water sector.
Explaining the method of defining the price of services, the Association of Water Utilities pointed out that the procedure for setting service prices is clearly defined by the methodology of the Regulatory Agency, which, according to the current Law on Communal Activities, must be used imperatively.
As they stated, after defining the price of services, the Regulatory Agency analyzes them and, if everything has been done according to regulations, approves the price.
"The established price of the service is forwarded to local self-government units, i.e. the competent secretariats and mayors, while the final decision on the adoption of the established price is made by local parliaments, on which service providers have absolutely no possibility of reaction or influence," the statement explains.
The Water Supply Association said that, after all of the above, it can be concluded that the address of the service provider for the call to account is incorrect.
The association called on all stakeholders, and primarily legislators, namely the competent Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, to come together and, by amending the inapplicable legal framework or by drafting a new one, create an environment in which the sustainability of the provider will not be in question.
This, they said, is the only way to prevent further negative impacts on the quality of living standards to the satisfaction of all citizens.
The Water Supply Association said that it is high time that all stakeholders recognize the moment and that they hope that this time there will be a reaction.
"We believe that all stakeholders who influence this state of affairs will meet as soon as possible, find the best solution, and thus spare citizens from the announced protests at the wrong address," the statement said.
Bonus video:
