DOWASCO tariff increase not the answer – Austrie

Austrie

Minister responsible for water resource management in Dominica Reginald Austrie says an increase in tax on water bills will not solve financial problems at water company DOWASCO.

DOWASCO wants to send home staff and cut down on workers’ salaries to help it cope with its fiscal issues.

But Austrie is convinced the tariff will be insufficient to cover DOWASCO’s expenditure.

“Even if you look at the minimum tariff increase it will not be sufficient to cover the cost and the expenditure that DOWASCO is in fact recurring at this time,” Austrie argued.

He said Monday that government is communicating with DOWASCO to see how the company can cut down on costs  before attempts are made to raise tariffs as government is trying to avoid laying additional tax burdens on Dominicans.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

27 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    February 23, 2011

    Thinking of this situation only shows how having all the resources in the world means nothing as long as the people who manages them are incapable of such.Minister Austrie like most of this present administration is mediocre in the execution of their duties or we would not be having this conversation.

  2. look
    February 23, 2011

    Dominica government needs to set down and think, why are we making so much of mistakes, they need to restructure their cabinet. Dominica have a river for every day of the year, and still having problems with their water, they should be making billions of dollars from water, start by exporting bottle of water around the world. Look at Barbados, Barbados doesn’t have any river, but yet they are doing 100% better than DA, they bottling there water, they refined from the ocean and selling it.

  3. The truth
    February 22, 2011

    Boy I cannot believe this thing. One of the Few companies to give people secure jobs and they want to lay people off. People with a trade who have only worked for that company. The only water company on the island. No consideration for any other alternative by the minister. And the minister should not even be involved in the running of the comp y whether it is gov owned or not. Gov owned companies should be managed by outsiders but overseen by the gov. That would allow transparency and allow the company to be run successfully, to avoid problems like that. This is some ridiculous stuff. And from the look, the minister is offering not transparency to the problems. These workers should make their presence felt

  4. T. Winston
    February 22, 2011

    I need to be educated on the vast expenditure of the Dominica Water and sewerage company (DOWASCO). I mean other than chlorine to combat disease and fuel for pumps and pressure how come DOWASCO losing money? what is the expenditure because they sure as hell don’t have filters or working filters. This is evident since every time it rains the water is dirty. Since I am unsure of Dowasco’s vast expenditure help me out. And talk the manager because if you see your company operating at a loss or in the red it’s your job to take action and bring it up immediately. Not when it gets to the point where the noose too tight.

  5. updated
    February 22, 2011

    so what minister Austrie is saying is that he would rather send people at there homes, people with children mortgage ect. than to increase tariff. I thought the government responsibility was to protect the job of its citizens? well what a tangled web we find ourselves in eh

  6. sector
    February 22, 2011

    This is a case of simple business and major politics. How can a company expect to thrive if after 10 years it cannot review its rates. In that ten years it has increases the pay of workers, see its expense rise by 15% because of vat see fuel increase and the general increase in purchases over 10 years. Unless Dowasco was charging extremely high rates 10 years ago and making massive profits it clear and obvious why they in the red. But then again you could have political glasses and that would make you blind too, the minister for example.

  7. Jayson
    February 22, 2011

    Is Dowasco a public company?

  8. Jolly Brown
    February 22, 2011

    What about diverting FIVE MILLION of that Malice Palace money to DOWASCO! What are our priorities -Palace or WATER?

  9. Bram-Bram
    February 22, 2011

    So what is the ministers’ plan to deal with the deficit at DOWASCO? Laying off staff is always the first and only option? Why doesn’t DOWASCO go into bottling and selling of water? Selling water at a more reasonable price to the cruise ships could be one option! Why do we have to give them water for almost nothing? Why are the coke company and the chinese able to use DOWASCO water, and sell it at a profit with DOWASCO getting almost nothing in return? I need some answers!

    • Welix
      February 22, 2011

      One of the water ventures under consideration by Government, said the Minister on “Talking Point” yesterday is the difficulties St. Lucia is having getting a ship to collect water from DA though the infrastructure is in place at Cabrits.

    • True say
      February 22, 2011

      Bram, laying off staff is always a last option. All other options require investment in huge resources which the overburdened company just doesn’t have.

  10. Dread!
    February 22, 2011

    What you said makes sense minister. However, it remains to question – how did Dowasco manage to have so much debt. Maybe one of the ways to counteract that is to address the root of the problem – how did that debt come to pass – and weed the problem out from the root.

    • True say
      February 22, 2011

      The debt came about because of the millions to install and replace water systems around the island.
      Yes, they are loans facilitated through the government that the company has been struggling year after year to pay back and at the same time having to pay so many staff members salaries.

  11. mouth of the south
    February 22, 2011

    well they said the country economy is growing but like i said,,, i haven’t felt it yet n i’m still waiting to feel it,,,,, like the lil rat them politicians are,,, he has refused to comment on the loss of jobs that may happen,,,,

  12. MARZHIE ALONE
    February 22, 2011

    more hard life is on the way ….wwwhhhhhhhhhhappppp lets us take it like a mannn !!!!! Next Level

    • Hitman
      February 22, 2011

      You sound so foolish saying that. You guys just keep putting the opposition in more bad light. Do you know the political affiliation of those who will be sent home? There may well be opposition supporters among them but when you make such silly and insensitive comments they will decide to stay clear of your party because nobody likes people who are not in the interest of their survival and that of their families.

      • MARZHIE ALONE
        February 22, 2011

        i have never been on to ewxpose myself to political victimization alll fradi allu god…we is allu godd ehh …lets take it like a man whhhhhhhhhapppppppppppppp

        • Hitman
          February 22, 2011

          Get a dictionary, a campad book and for you a pencil, you will graduate to a pen later when you are mature enough not to hurt yourself, and go to adult education class.

  13. Country
    February 22, 2011

    Now these are crucial times in my country – I am hearing of LIAT laying off employees, Clear Harbor closing it’s door in Dominica and now DOWASCO laying off employees, not to mention the various other institutions that are quietly closing down. There in a rise in fuel prices, people are not tolerant of each other and so on and so forth: People we need to really pray for our country for only pray will see us through.

    • ccc
      February 22, 2011

      clear harbor closing its door??????????

      • Mouth of the east
        February 22, 2011

        Country where did you get that bullsh… about clear harbour closing its doors? Stop trying to put fear in people.(DOLT)

      • Anonymous
        February 22, 2011

        Well papa look is now Fast Cash and Courts going and lay off workers too!!!

        If Clear Harbor going and close then these other little companies will close down or down size.

        When will the Government consider a free zone for manufactures to relocate in Dominica? I hope at least when the geothermal project gets off the ground since the price for power should be a lot more competitive.

    • Mikes
      February 22, 2011

      Seems like more crucial times are coming for us because the money tree is being affected by all the events in the Middle East and North Africa. Now that the citizens of our new friends, Libya, Morroco and the rest are demanding more accountability and regime change, we should expect that it won’t be business as usual. Wonder what our Prime Minister have to say about those events?

  14. Voltier
    February 22, 2011

    What Mr Austrie said is fine, if at all that is true.I am thinking big companies and hotels paying just $10 a month for sewer rates. if that could be increased to about $20 and every customes pays about 5% increase that would be significant. I for one would rather pay $12 extra on my water bill than see my neighbour with wife and children siting at home. We are talking humanity here people. It is ok for the government of the day to protect the their people from rising prices. However, Mr Austrie it is also your duty to protect the jobs of your citizens and more so create employment not remove people from employment. We are talking of about 50 people having to go home. Just so you could get a clearer picture; 4 bus loads of people.It may not sound as much but think of your motorcades, and the difference four buses make.

    • Concerned Citizen
      February 23, 2011

      i totally concur. I would much prefer to pay a slight increase rather than have these people lose their jobs. When they lose those jobs they can’t patronize my buisness so then i have to lay off workers (that’s how the economy works eh). So when he talking about the wanting to spare dominicans of the burden of an increase he should probably do the math first.. dumb A**How can you have big companies paying pittances for water bill, have Dowasco paying VAT and not passing it on, having stand pipes running non stop and don’t talk about the water in public wash rooms. This guys are all jokers, how can you, with so much happening in the world today just decide that you prefer send people home instead of raising rates. Marpin just raised their rates by over 20$ and we swallow it. you mean to tell me we cannot handle a 5-10$ rate… come on man. this is appalling. they so busy telling us how poor we are that we are becoming useless vessels just sitting waiting for gov’t to do. stupesss. awah Austrie magwé se, but we have 27 million to build a house for a ceremonial president to be able to lavishly entertain. something is seriously wrong here. And frankly i am getting tired of this BS

    • Concerned
      March 2, 2011

      very good points! Mr. Austrie i hope that you take this into consideration. Your duty is to provide jobs and not take away. Already too many people are sitting at their homes un-employed. Its so sad what is happening to the citizens of our beloved country.

      WAKE UP LEADERS! WAKE UP! BURY THE DIRTY POLITICS BEFROE IT BURY US! AND START DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY WHERE INVESTMENTS AND JOB CREATION IS CONCERNED.

      THANK YOU

  15. wesleyman
    February 22, 2011

    I thought only the parliment could levy tariffs, No where in this report is the minister suggesting anything or addressing the very important issue of laying people off, and is this a new issue that it has to get to this for them to decide to act?

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available