Water prices should rise

THE PRICES Advisory Board is in favour of increasing the price of domestic water supplies, and is likely to recommend such a move to the Agriculture Minister.

Although no decision was taken at yesterday’s meeting of the board, Consumer Protection chief George Mitides said after the proceedings: “I personally believe that there should be a scaled rise in the price of water so we can eliminate waste and achieve a lower consumption.”

The increase being discussed would see the price of water rise from the current 33.5 cents per ton to 38.5 cents per ton.

The issue is expected to be discussed again before any final decision is taken.

The island’s reservoirs are now less than ten per cent full after three years of severe drought.

Last week, the Consumers Association blasted the government suggestion to increase the price of water.

The Association said it was “unthinkable and unacceptable”, and accused the government of making consumers pay for the water shortage.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.