MP accuses water ministry of contracting private companies to distribute water
A member of parliament representing Torit County in the transitional national legislative assembly (TNLA) has accused the ministry of water and irrigation of bypassing the urban water corporation and contracting private companies to distribute water.
Samuel Bori Loti, said the ministry of water and irrigation contracted Kwangjak General Trading Company in Gudele, Dickson Company Limited in Munuki and Victory Logistics General Trading in Kator and Lologo, Asimos Limited in Jebel and Mauna and 3 K limited in Juba town to distribute water.
He said these companies are paying 25 percent of money generated from water sales to the ministry of water and irrigation.
“It is unfortunate that the ministry of water and irrigation has assigned some companies to manage water points, instead of using the legally known water corporation that we know is under this government,” Loti said during parliamentary session held in Juba’s Freedom Hall on Tuesday.
“It is quite disheartening that the citizens of Juba continue to pay the same price that the water tankers used to charge when they carried water from the river. They are now getting water from nearby stations and yet charge even higher,” he added.
In July, Emmanuel Khamis the acting mayor of Juba city council issued an order increasing the price of water per drum from 800 SSP to 1300 SSP in Juba.
The South Sudan Urban Water Corporation prior to the opening up water points in residential areas used to charge water distributors 100 SSP per drum at it’s water filling stations.
Loti revealed that Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) constructed the water treatment plant to distribute water in Juba, adding that water distribution is supposed to be managed by the Urban Water Corporation.
“We may recall that through the generosity of people of Japan they were able to construct for this city a water treatment plant to distribute water to different residential areas within the city,” he said.
