CONSUMER ASSOCIATIONS AGAIN FAIL TO SOLVE CONCRETE ISSUES IN WATER MANAGEMENT

Panorama.am
15:14 27/06/06

Public organizations protecting consumer rights have been expressing
their discontent with the recent rise of water fee saying it is
illegal. They continue messaging their dissatisfaction up to today
but it is too late to change anything since the public regulatory
committee has already approved the fee without any estimates based
on only contract obligations. The decision of the committee may be
appealed only 6 months after the decision is made.

Today also Consumer Association has called a discussion inviting
organizations in the field of water management – public services
regulatory committee, General Dez O, water committee and public
organizations. According to association chairman Armen Poghosyan,
the main topics of the discussion are water supply schedules and water
safety. He mentioned that about 20% of population does not receive the
minimal 4 hour supply of water and that victims of low quality water
who suffered in 2003 have not been compensated until today. "We are
not so interested who is to be blamed but how protected consumers are
from similar situations," the head of association said. They have sent
an open letter to the prime minister on the issues mentioned above.

However Poghosyan was gladly accepting the "rosy" statements made by
water supply organizations saying that water system is undergoing
unprecedented reforms based on contract obligations. They said all
the issues raised have been involved in the contract and will be
viewed as priorities in the coming ten years.

Once against the Consumer Association failed to take up concrete
steps in improving the situation.

Moreover, the representatives of power structure managed to win this
"advocacy" war.

Who knows, may be that was the aim of this discussion?