Govt. requests water rates review

Colombia's government has called on the country's waterworks regulator CRA to review the methods used by water utilities in compiling drinking water and sanitation rates, with the aim of establishing criteria that would stop the utilities from factoring in to the rates values the costs of "inefficiencies." The announcement was made by the national environment, housing & territorial development minister Cecilia Rodriguez Gonzalez-Rubio. The minister wants to see water rates reflect the costs of production such as labor, transport and treatment. They should not include those costs "not related to the service." CRA is scheduled to hand in a report on the rates issue this December, after receiving input from consumer groups and other users.