Ajman, October 18: Ajman residents are complaining about high sewage fees and have urged the authorities to include the tariff in the water and electricity bills, instead of charging separately.
Nader Amin, an Egyptian who resides in the Naemiya area, said he is paying a fixed amount of Dh70 every month for sewage fees, irrespective of whether he is staying in his one-bedroom apartment or not. “This is unfair. The fees are unreasonably high and should be connected to real consumption, at least in view of water and electricity usage,” Amin said.
Aziz Belqasem, a Moroccan resident of Al Rashidiya area, said he used to pay nothing against sewage service before.
The landlord alone used to pay fees to for the sewage tankers. Now, I have to pay a separate monthly bill of Dh70 for my studio flat, he said.
Ayman Saleem, a Syrian resident of Al Bustan area, has no problem with the sewage fees, but wants to have the tariff included in the water and electricity bill.
“Why should I go to another department, and wait in another long queue to pay the sewage bill?” Saleem said.
Mohammed Alam, a Bangladeshi grocer, said he is falling under too much pressure, and paying several bills every month that he almost saves nothing.
“It is really unfair to pay fees against a service I do not use. I do not have any water or sewerage service in my small shop. However, I have to pay Dh75 for sewage service every month,” Alam said.
Mohammed Al Saeedi, representative of a property company in the New Industrial Area, said his company is unduly paying sewage fees even for closed or non-rented units.
Aisha Al Abdooli, Technical Service Manager at the Ajman Sewerage Private Company Limited (ASPCL), said the current sewage fees are very reasonable, and help the company run and maintain the massive network.
“The fees, being approved by the government of Ajman, means that they are acceptable and affordable, as they are aimed for the benefit of the people,” she said. The project, implemented as per a concession agreement with the Government of Ajman, includes a sophisticated network that serves more than 75,000 homes and companies, located on 12,500 plots of land throughout Ajman’s 18 basins.
Its wastewater plant has the capacity to treat approximately 50,000 cubic metres of sewage daily.
Aisha said the amended sewage law of the emirate includes a special appendix for fees, and covers all properties, including residential and commercial units.
“The monthly tariff, which helps operate and maintain the sewage network, differs from one unit or category to another. It even varies from a studio to one, two and three-bedroom apartments,” she said.
The $140 million wastewater network in Ajman is quite different from that in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
“The emirate has opened the door for investors to participate in the massive project, which is the first of its kind in Ajman, and the whole region,” Aisha said.
The partnership between the Government of Ajman and prominent international experts from the private sector has contributed to the establishment of ASPCL, the first company of its kind and size in the region, which will build, operate and maintain the sewerage network for a period of 27 and a half years. “The government of Ajman and investors involved have to shoulder most of cost of the project’s infrastructure, as well as supply, operation and maintenance works,” Aisha said.
“The government’s share represents 20 per cent while that of the investors is between 60 to 70 per cent. The remaining fees range from 10 to 20 per cent.”
Aisha then indicated that the sewage company is not planning to include the sewage fees in the water and electricity bills.
“The fees shall remain separate for the time being.”
–Agencies