Hanoi set to hike water prices

Deputy director of the city Department of Finance, Mai Cong Quyen, said Friday a proposal for the hike would be submitted to the People’s Committee early next year for approval.

After hikes of 20% a year on average between 2013 and 2015, tariffs remained unchanged until 2019, he said.

In 2019 the city was considering an increase, but Covid-19 broke out and the government instructed the administration not to increase certain tariffs, he added.

Water costs VND5,973 (25 cents) per cubic meter for the first 10 m3, and then increases to up to VND15,929 after 30 m3.

The 2019 plan would have increased prices in 2020-22 to a minimum of VND9,963.

Hanoi has 11 water companies, with their total capacity adding up to 1.5 million cubic meters a day and night, enough to serve residents in downtown districts and 78% of people in outlying areas.

A total of 149 communes in the city have yet to get clean water.