PEKAN, Oct 12 – The Federal Government would assist the state government and state water management operator in their efforts to reduce non revenue water (NRW). Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili described the assistance, through a grant or loan in the 11th Malaysia Plan next year, as a transformation for the future.
He said to reducing the NRW is the operator or state government’s responsibility except for the states that have migrated to the National Water Service Industry Restructuring Scheme which are managed and funded by the Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB).
“Normally the state governments or their operators that have not yet migrated, such as Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad, have to bear a major portion of the costs. They don’t have sufficient means and as a matter of policy the federal government has to assist,” he said after launching the YaHijau@Pekan Carnival at Dataran Pekan here on Saturday.
Ongkili said the assistance was also in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s aspiration to see the realisation of the National NRW Blueprint which is in the process of being implemented. However, he did not eleborate on the sum to be allocated, saying that it depended on the Budget 2016 which would be tabled by Najib who is also Finance Minister, on Oct 23.
Ongkili cited states that have not migrated to the scheme as Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu. He said the government was targeting to reduce NRW to 44 per cent by 2017 as compared to 52.6 per cent currently. Meanwhile, he added that there were two NRW projects, in Kuantan and Kuala Lipis, are scheduled to be completed by 2017 while the similar projects will also follow suit in other districts including Pekan.
