'We did not request new fees for water connections in Oman' - Shura Council

Business Thursday 11/July/2019 13:57 PM
By: Times News Service
'We did not request new fees for water connections in Oman' - Shura Council

Muscat: Oman’s Majlis Al Shura has dismissed claims they are responsible for requesting the setting of higher fees for water connections to new homes.

In a statement, the Shura Council said: “As a follow-up to what has been discussed on the involvement of the council in imposing fees on connecting water services to residential plots in the Sultanate, the Shura Council states that it did not call for the increase of fees and did not submit it as a proposal or a recommendation. The Council confirms in all its works to not affect the standards of living of the citizens.”

The Shura Council had received a letter from some citizens who said they were willing to bear the full water connectivity installation fees because they had waited too long for the implementation of water services, and on the basis of this, the Shura members wrote a letter recommending the same to Diam, the Sultanate’s Public Authority for Electricity and Water.

Mohammed Al Kindi, a member of the Shura Council, told Times of Oman: “The letter was not a general letter that demanded imposing fees for connecting water services to all citizens in the Sultanate.

“All the Wilayats and areas in the Sultanate are looking for water and electricity services.” Al Kindi said. “This particular group of people waited for too long to receive water connection services and they still haven’t gotten it. As a result, they decided to team up and pay fees to get water service.”

Earlier this week, Diam had said that new homeowners who wished to connect to their homes will have to pay at least OMR 700. The said fee was for connecting drinking water services to residential lands with an area of less than 2,000 square metres and would increase depending on the size of the land.

Diam had said that the fee only applies to new homes and does not include homes that already receive drinking water services.

The Shura Council statement, added: “Outside the Shura Council, any request or suggestion from any member in the council remains a personal point of view that does not represent the council’s perspective.”