The National Water and Sanitation Company (NWASCO) says opening up the water sector to competition could undermine the accessibility of the commodity by the poor in the country.
NWASCO Public Relations Officer (PRO) Rose Tembo says encouraging competition in the industry would lead to high pricing of the commodity and would ultimately make it difficult for the poor in society to access the commodity.
Ms Tembo further expressed fear that the coming up of more companies in the water industry was likely to compromise the quality as well as the service delivery of the commodity.[quote]
She was speaking in an interview in Lusaka today.
Ms Tembo noted that it was Government’s mandate to provide safe and quality water to all its citizens icluding the poor.
She said research conducted on the subject matter has revealed that allowing more companies into the water sector was likely to create difficulties in the accessibility of clean and safe drinking water by the public.
Ms. Tembo said water is a social good necessary for human survivor and as such should never be made open for competition.
She said lessons should be learnt from countries like Mozambique where citizens were subjected to low quality and poor service delivery but high pricing of the commodity as a result of their Government’s decision to open up the water sector to competition.
She said Government has at the moment no plans of opening up the water industry to competition because of the duty it has to the people in the country to provide them with quality water at a minimal cost-Zanis.
Competition brings out the best in products and the worst in people”
Competition helps to bring perfection. In an industry where there is intense competition, often, there is a tendency that that industry would become more and more perfect and efficient. This happens because competition shifters out the poor performing products or services and leaves only good and outstanding products for the general masses to consume. This particular advantage of competition is more likely to benefit the general population, since they would have better quality products and services for maybe cheaper prices.
What is Ms Rose Tembo talking about. Despite Lusaka Water & Sewerage being mandated to provide water and sewerage services there is still acute shortage of water in places like Chalala in Lusaka. It would be better if another coy was allowed to supply water just the way they have allowed gabage collection. In fact most of the rural districts townships are being supplied water by water utilities. Unless she is talking of typical rural arears. What was the point of liberising the economy of this country. All we need efficient service delivery on our door steps. LWSCo has failed to meet client expectation, they bill even where they dont supply water. Rose talk of something else. WATER IS LIFE.
Ba Ms Tembo , please wake up and stop taking rubbish, you dont seem to know what you are talking about, Go and do some research, before opening your mouth.
Zambians very good at turning logic upside down!
Don’t even go there! Dont even talk about that topic. Not with water. Its stupid things like this that cause problems in countries. We should think we are smarter than evryone all the time with all things. Cote D’voire and other of the many war torn regions started with with such foolishness. you cannot deprive impoverished, poor, human beings lackign sanitation and susceptible to water born dieses, ravaged by HIV, of their basic rights, for whatever cost. Not in their land. Nobody asked GOD to be born in 3rd world Zambia. We were born all born into these problems. Water, energy, health, education, sanitation are a basic need and right for the people and must be provided for by the people for the people! Otherwise revolt, civil strife, discontentment , violence is all that will be bred.
We need to be very very careful with what we think liberalisation is, what it means to our countries, what economic and social objectives are sought, and the best model of delivering to these. As far as the basic rights are concerned, Zambia’s objective should be (1) to deliver clean drinking water to at least 90% of the 13m people, particulalry the kids. We are probably under 40%. (2) deliver it at ECONOMIC COST, which means conusmer pays for it at a price that most closely reflect the total average cost of production. Thereofre no Arbitrage profitability. The Ethical and Social implications outweigh any profit objective whether govt or other run. Pravately run Water coy will not deliver these objectives. Zambia is committed to Millenium development goals 2020. Water is at the centre
That is why we’ve got millions of dollars in Bilateral and multilateral support for water development projects from World bank, JICA and other coorprating partners focus on this single, key, deliverable / Millenium Goal. So all us Zambians in the diaspora should read up on this and participate and support current projects ad programmes on the ground both the GRZ initiative and The partners + Churches, by finding foreign people willing to sink a couple more boreholes and hand pumps in Shangombo, Chitambo etc or just affiliating ourselves with one or two contituences and fight for a share of the Project funds..
Hi Digga, whats up. I find your contribution very insightful. Ms Tembo knows exactly what she is talking about. Just as an example; bottled water in the USA, (though highly priced and makes consumers think its safe)was found to contain alot of particles including medications such as anti depressants, acetaminophen and was more unsafe compared to state produced waters! And better believe it was not just one brand of bottled water they tested. Bloggers lets not condemn for the sake of condemning. Any way they say ‘opinions are like a$$holes. Every one has one!’
We would do well to prode the existing water&sewarage service providerz to continously improve, if they are to survive the good competition if and when it comez.