The power to set water tariffs will return to the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Entity (ERSAR) from the 2026 cycle, the Government announced today.
This year, the executive was still responsible for setting tariffs, and it was decided to “maintain 2023 prices with an adjustment to expected inflation”, indicated the Minister of the Presidency, at the press conference after today's Council of Ministers.
António Leitão Amaro then announced the approval of the tariffs for 2024, pointing out: «there was a past decision to make this power to set tariffs political, we have to exercise it».
The «decision for the future that takes effect from the 2026 tariff cycle is to return tariff-setting powers to ERSAR, the independent regulatory entity».
For the minister, «it should not have left there in 2021, it was a mistake», so the government changes and returns to the «pre-existing situation: the power to set tariffs for the various types of systems returns to the regulator, which will do so with independence, rationality and impartiality».
In the field of water, António Leitão Amaro also said that they will “allow all municipalities in the country, regardless of aggregation, to apply for European funds”.
This is because many low-density territories “are unable to make improvements to their water systems” and therefore it is “necessary to allow everyone to access European funds to have projects financed to improve water systems”.
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