Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBA) is not planning to raise the tariff in the immediate future, said its general manager Jaseni Maidinsa on Wedneday.
He said that he was misquoted on Tuesday and the fact was that water tariff in Penang would not be increased even after the next election.
Jaseni said that during a public seminar titled ‘Importance of the Ulu Muda Forest for Water Security in Northern Peninsular Malaysia’, organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia on Tuesday, he was referring to the importance of gazetting the water catchment areas and stopping logging activities.
“During the presentation yesterday, I explained that Penang’s non-revenue water is 18.4 percent which is the lowest in the country and further reduction is only possible with water tariff revision since heavy capital investment is required,” he said in a statement here on Wednesday.
A local English newspaper reported on Wednesday that water tariff increase would be imminent after the next general election.
Jaseni said Penang was undoubtedly a ‘water-stressed’ state as 80 percent of water supply was from the Muda river and he also highlighted that the state had gazetted the water catchments in 2004.
He hoped that with this clarification the English newspaper could correct their report immediately to prevent any attempt to exploit the situation.
