A debt of 3,600 billion centimes accrued by citizens for water consumption… staggered payments as an option

The Minister of Water Resources and Environment, Mr. Abdelkader Ouali, has enjoined the Algerian Waters Company to expand its presence across the entire municipalities of the country, as from the beginning of 2017 for a period of three years at the latest.

He said that the ongoing water-related project will cost the Public Treasury nearly 1,000 billion centimes, especially in terms of extending the water processing networks, stressing that the Algerian water system currently covers 900 Municipalities and the water distribution coverage will be further extended starting from early next year.

Mr Ouali who has just who has wound up working visits to southern provinces of the country with the aim of providing them with safe drinking water projects, also pointed to the huge debts faced by the Algerian waters company owing to unpaid bills by numerous citizens over several years.

According to the Minister, a debt of around 3,600 billion centimes is now the order of the day, stressing that the government is considering approving a string of facilities allowing the failing citizens to pay their water bills, past and present, in installments in order to help recoup the company’s outstanding losses once and for all.

Mr Abdelkader Ouali further indicated the Algerian waters company has now embarked upon an all-out modernization process whereby all the water-related files would be computerized for easier access and more reliability.

Furthermore, he stated that the relevant sector had benefited from a budget of more than 3.260 billion DA between 1999 and 2016, allocated to the financing of basic infrastructure projects, Equipment, maintenance and technical control.

After the drought of the 1990s, the achievements of the past 15 years have increased the average water supply per person, ie 180 liters per day after receiving 31 new dams since 1999, Mr. Ouali said.

He also pointed out that the number of dams currently stands at 75 with an overall storage capacity of 10 billion cubic meters, while five other large dams with a capacity of 500 million cubic meters were in the process of being achieved.