Mozambique: Regulatory authority orders revision of “quadruplicate” water bills

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Mozambique: Regulatory authority orders revision of “quadruplicate” water bills

2:06 CAT | 27 Jul 2020

File photo: Web Mais TV

After reports in Mozambican media about water bills quadrupling in size since the beginning of the state of emergency, the Water Regulatory Authority (AURA) last Wednesday issued a press release telling those responsible water supply to correct invoices presenting “anomalous amounts inconsistent with the expected increase in consumption during the State of Emergency”.

“Until the determination of the definitive causes of the sudden variation in the amounts of the invoices, the Management Entities of the systems where this situation occurs will maintain invoicing based on estimated consumption averages, except in the cases where conditions allow for water meter readings to be taken,” the communique details.

Águas da Região de Maputo and the Water Supply Assets and Investment Fund (FIPAG) suspended metre reading at the beginning of the state of emergency, sending out estimated invoices to avoid contact between their staff and consumers.

But, since March, the invoices arriving on consumers’ doorsteps have been for amounts many times higher than average consumption.

AURA notes that, under State of Emergency measures, entities owning or managing water supply systems were instructed to protect the adequacy of their commercial operations, particularly with regards to interaction with consumers.

Billing would therefore be for monthly average consumption, adjusted afterwards on the basis of actual consumption. But AURA has now said that billing based on actual consumption will only be resumed on its instructions.

By Omardine Omar

Source: Carta de Moçambique