Consumer groups seek more time to study Bills

Consumer groups seek more time to study Bills by R. Manirajan PETALING JAYA: Consumer associations feel there are too many loopholes and weaknesses in the proposed Water Service Industry Bill and the National Water Services Commission Bill and want these rectified before they are tabled in Parliament next year. They also want the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry and its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, to extend the consultation period on the Bills, which aim to overhaul water supply and services, so that all interested parties can scrutinise the proposals and give feedback. Lim held a two-hour closeddoor consultation and briefing for about 20 consumer associations yesterday. ERA Consumer Association president N. Marimuthu said: "The minister agreed in principle to extend the Nov 24 deadline by another four months and present the Bills for first reading in Parliament in March instead of the end of this month." He said the associations want more time to refer to similar legislations in other countries. Marimuthu said the associations also asked the ministry to pay for five consultations and to post all responses on its website. Coalition Against Privati sation of Water coordinator Charles Santiago said its members want the ministry-appointed consultant, KPMG, to post its report on findings on the Bills on the ministry website. "KPMG officials who were present objected, but the minister said he will try to declassify the report before putting it on the website as it's under the Official Secrets Act," he told theSun. Santiago described as improper a provision which stipulates that water supply and sewerage services will be disconnected after 14 days in cases of non-payment. "Water is a basic necessity, especially for the poor. It is not like Coke or Pepsi. This provision can't be made into a law and, by right, should be a regulation." Asked about his impression of the Bills, Santiago said they will not solve all the water problems. He said the National Water Services Commission Bill will result in massive bureaucracy. "Having the Bills alone is not enough ... there are other things such as protecting our rivers and educating the people on water usage that need to be looked into," he said. "There is also the need to reform certain things in the public sector ... as there is too much political interference in certain states where water is concerned and we need to separate this."