LWB Effects Its 35% Water Tariff Hike

By Racheal Julaye–LILONGWE

Commercial and residential customers for Lilongwe Water Board-LWB will now be coughing out more to pay for water services as the water utility body has hiked the tarriffs by 35 and 30 percent respectively effective 26th June 2023.

In a statement, LWB attributes the upward adjustment to escalating costs of water production and high costs of maintenance.

“By implementing this tarriff adjustment, LWB aims improving its service delivery as well as ensuring that a greater number of residents in the city have access to clean and safe drinking water,” reads the statement in part.

Water and Sanitation Abida Mia indicated in December last year that implementation requested hike by country’s five water boards had been suspended due to the worst Cholera outbreak.

The five water boards further proposed a new tariff increase in the 2023-24 financial year with Blantyre Water Board pushing for 90 percent, the highest rate of all.

They cited the 25 percent devaluation of the kwacha in May last year and government’s delay to implement proposed tariff increases in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Again, they previously argued that the current tariff is below full cost recovery as they lose over K23 billion annually to Ministries, Departments and Agencies in unpaid bills and K30 billion to non-revenue water.

In November 2021, the water boards started implementing another watt tarriff hike he water tariff hike averaging 52 percent.