The authorities in Tajikistan are discussing the issue of raising tariffs for utilities and water supply, top managers of the State Unitary Enterprise (SUE) Khojagii Manziliyu Kommunali (KMK – the state holding company for public utilities) told reporters in Dushanbe on January 29.
According to them, current prices for housing and communal services are allegedly lower than their cost.
The KMK top managers noted that the Antimonopoly Agency is currently is considering increasing the cost of water.
Utility workers propose to raise tariffs for their services by 15%-20%. However, there is no specific information about when new tariffs will be approved and announced.
Currently, information on utility prices has been removed from the KMK’s official website.
Tariffs for waste removal and water supply still remain unchanged. They were last changed in 2015 (solid waste removal rates were raised) and in 2018 (drinking water and sewerage rates were raised).
Recall, current rates for one cubic meter of drinking are 1.09 somonis for residential customers, 2.02 somonis for federally funded institutions and 3.48 somonis for commercial organizations.
Meanwhile, current sewer bills (for one cubic meter) are 0.55 somoni for residential customers, 1.09 somonis for federally funded institutions and 1.88 somonis for commercial organization.
If there are meters, then subscribers will pay according to their readings.
It is to be noted that KMK provides water supply services not to all the country’s population. Companies for public utilities in Dushanbe, Khujand, Faizobod, Nurek, Roghun are subordinate to local authorities. In Dushanbe, for example, SUE Dushanbevodokanal (DVK — municipal water works) provides the water supply services.
KMK Director-General Usmon Davlatzoda noted yesterday at the news conference that 66 percent of the country’s population, or 6,741,676 people, had access to the centralized water supply system last year, which is reportedly 6.3 percent, or 1,618,000 people, more than in 2022.
