Sinabi ni Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus na inaprubahan ng Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System ang pagtataas sa kabila ng pagmahal ng iba pang bayarin.
“At a time when mothers and ordinary Filipinos are reeling from the torrent of price hikes, the government still chose to approve a water rate hike to ensure payment of old and onerous foreign currency-denominated loans by the MWSS,” ani de Jesus.
Kinukuwestyon ni de Jesus ang foreign currency differential adjustment scheme sa mga MWSS concession agreements upang makapaningil ang Maynilad at Manila Water ng dagdag kung hihina ang halaga ng piso kontra dolyar.
Ang kustomer ng Manila Water ay sisingilin ng dagdag na P5.21 sa bawat 10 cubic meter ng tubig at 23 sentimos naman sa mga kustomer ng Maynilad.
“The peso has plunged to a record-low in more than a decade by breaching the P53:$1 mark and shows no sign of recovery. With the FCDA scheme in place, a depreciating peso will only mean bigger water rate hikes in the coming months. Consumers will be charged several times over for the same erratic water service. This is one of the many downsides of water privatization,” ani de Jesus.
Naghain ang Gabriela ng resolusyon sa Kamara de Representantes upang maimbestigahan ang FCDA at currency exchange rate adjustment sa mga kontratang ibinigay ng gobyerno.