Unsustainable to continue Selangor’s free water initiative, MB says

Program has cost the government RM1.6 billion so far and will increase to RM200 million a year

(MMO) – Selangor’s free water programme is unsustainable as its increased year-on-year demand has strained the state government’s coffers, Mentri Besar Amiruddin Shaari said today.

Amiruddin revealed in the state assembly sitting today that the state government has spent RM1.6 billion for the programme from June 2008 to October 2018.

He added that the programme is will cost up to 10 per cent of the state’s yearly budget if it were to continue.

“The figures increased significantly every year. For example in 2008, we spent RM68 million, 2009, RM131 million and if we see 2014 we spent RM164 million, 2016, RM179 million and in 2017, RM183 million.

If we continue (with the initiative) the figures will reach around RM200 million and could consist 10 per cent of our overall budget and I find this unsustainable for us to do,” he said.

The programme however have been realigned to only apply to B40 households, as announced in Selangor’s 2019 budget.

The Selangor government will also increase the amount of free water provided to these households from the current 20 cubic metres to 25 cubic metres a month.

In the state assembly sitting yesterday, Amiruddin explain that they are still working out the right mechanism to implement the programme effectively.