Lakota: Water utility threatens disconnection, but nothing will come of it as long as we pay for water flat rate

The company "Vodovod i kanalizacija" Sarajevo issued a notice stating, among other things, that due to large debts of a certain number of users, they are forced to introduce measures that will contribute to the reduction of debts. These measures include the introduction of default interest of 12 percent for every water bill not paid within 30 days of the invoice date, as well as disconnection from the system.

And so, Bosnia and Herzegovina, known for its abundance of water, finds itself in a situation where the citizens of the capital are left without water. Consumer associations warn that bills must be paid, but that water disconnection is neither the first nor the right way to cover costs. They particularly warn that it is unacceptable that water in collective housing is still paid for by flat rate.

Mensud Lakota, director of the Consumer Cooperative "Euro BiH", believes that it is easiest to disconnect water, but that no one has yet talked about rationalizing employees in these companies, nor about the fact that projects in Sarajevo involving the introduction of measuring devices were done very sloppily and that it is not in anyone's interest for every apartment to have its own meter.

- It is absurd to talk about disconnecting water without measuring devices. Who in the world pays for water by flat rate? Besides, it is known that we have significant losses from the source to the end consumers. Little attention is paid to water losses in the network. It is a mosaic that needs to be put together to bring everything in order - said Lakota, adding that war-time debts have not yet been settled.

Lakota further noted that it is impossible to disconnect water from an entire building, as there are certainly regular payers in it.

- It is easiest to hit the consumers. And this utility company has been infringing on human rights for years. We still pay for garbage collection based on the square footage of the apartment, and for heating balconies from the "Toplane" (heating plants). These issues should be resolved first, and only then should people be disconnected - added Lakota.

He further noted that the government, which has been changing for years and only shifting blame to each other, is also to blame for this situation.

- No one has seriously sat down to see what can be done. Governments have passed the buck to each other. There have been attempts to introduce an economic price for water. But it is unrealistic to expect anything if you don't have a measuring instrument - added Lakota.