The increase in tariffs for water, basic sanitation and waste collection in Faro, by the municipal company Fagar, was advised against by the Regulatory Entity of Water and Waste Services, revealed the PS/Faro, at a press conference that took place today.
Socialists consider "unacceptable" and "incomprehensible" what they consider a "brutal increase" in Fagar's bill, the water and waste management company Faro, which surprised many inhabitants of Faro this March.
The arrival of the invoices led to a wave of public indignation, which was echoed on social media and was later denounced by opposition parties.
At the time, Fagar attributed the tariff increase to ERSAR determinations and the rise in prices by service providers.
However, an opinion from this same regulatory body, presented by the Socialist Party to journalists, not only considers that, in the request for a change in the tariff made by Fagar, the Farense company «did not indicate the reasons that determined these changes», but also says that , in the case of sanitation, there should be a reduction in the proposed tariff.
«In foreseeable terms, the proposed tariff leads to an excessive coverage of expenses in the wastewater sanitation service, and the managing entity [Fagar] should promote the improvement in this indicator», reads in the opinion.
ERSAR advises Fagar to consider «a revision of the tariff, in the sense of its reduction, which can be further leveraged by efficiency gains and consequent reduction of costs».
The opinion, sums up the president of the PS/Faro, «says that careful management must be carried out, reducing expenses, making gains in efficiency. This means that there is a lot of room for maneuver to find a solution that is not there to deal with the increase in costs.
However, the socialists accuse, the tariff not only increased, «at least 25%», in what concerns sanitation, but is well above the one that was approved, with the votes against by the PS, in a Chamber Meeting held in December.
«These increases are not understandable when there is a 6% proposal approved in December and when there are increases that, depending on the case, because there is only one step at the moment, go up to 50%, 60% and more and always higher to 25 percent", according to Adérito Silva, the president of the PS/Faro.
The socialists give two practical examples, one of domestic consumption: (...) A family that has a consumption of 17 cubic meters (m3), in 2022 paid 49 euros and in 2023 pays 61 euros, an increase of 25%».
Speaking of non-domestic consumption, consumption of 5m3 «I paid 15 euros and now pays 94 euros».
The Socialist Party wants, “in the first place, the complete reversal of the tariff. Next, we want to hold an extraordinary Municipal Assembly, something that has already been requested, in order to try to sensitize those who have the majority in the Municipal Council, so that we can achieve this goal».
If it is not possible to reverse the situation in this way, Adérito Silva admits «putting everything we have at our disposal at the disposal of the Farense population, so that there are no these brutal increases. It is unacceptable that in a situation of pandemic, war and inflation, which we are all witnessing, the interests of a population are not defended».
The socialist even admits to associating himself with the protests of Farense citizens and the calls for mobilization against the measure that are being made on the social network.
«We will be at the side of the people and, if necessary, we will either mobilize or frame a general mobilization in the municipality, to try to reverse this situation», he assured.
O Sul Informação tried to contact the president of Fagar, Paulo Gouveia da Costa, but without success until the publication of this article.
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