The price of water for non-commercial use, which rose to 1.32
yuan (US$0.16) per cubic meter from January1, upset Guangzhou
residents, Xinhua's Web site said Wednesday.
Though notices of a water price increase were posted in some
residential housing areas in Guangzhou, many residents said they
knew the news only from media reports, the Web site said. Most were
unpleasantly surprised by the increase.
A resident surnamed Zhao said the justification behind
increasing the price of water for household use should be to
enhance service quality. He doubted that the price was increased
before the service quality was enhanced, which was quite the
opposite to what the hearing on the price increase was told.
Another man surnamed Kuang living in Haizhu District complained
that his family had to pay 20 yuan more for the water, which was
not a small sum for his family, the report said.
Some representatives, who had attended the hearing on the water
price last September, said they were not satisfied with such price
increase.
According to the report, Sun Weili, a hearing representative,
said many did not agree with water price hike at the hearing at
first. However, they raised their hands to support the increase
later after an agreement which stated that the purpose of the water
price reform was to promote a new pricing system, enhance water
conservation practices and improve the water quality of the
city..
The municipal pricing bureau and gardening bureau declined to
comment, said the report.
(Shenzhen Daily January 6, 2006)
