Лиляна Павлова, министър на регионалното развитие и благоустройството – Нужен е дебат за Закон за ВиК сектора
Mrs. Pavlova, would you tell us what has been done by MRDPW in the water sector and particularly in the water supply and waste water disposal segment, and what is forthcoming?
The sector needs restructuring, in order for its management to be more efficient and the customer services to be improved. That’s why we started its reforming. The first step to this end is the adoption of the Water Strategy. It concerns all segments of the water sector – water supply and wastewater disposal (WSW), irrigation, flood protection and hydropower engineering.
We are already working on the development of the WSW Strategy. A review of the regulations and the public expenditures in the segment as well as of the efficient operation of the water companies will be carried out. The elaboration of this strategy is financed under the technical assistance of the Operational Programme Environment (OPE). The project is being executed by a team of the World Bank.
For the needs of the reform we suggested amendments in the Water Law which are currently being deliberated in the National Assembly.
One of the proposed amendments is related to the regionalization of the sector, in other words one operator will provide WSW services on the territory of one administrative region. We think that this will lead to more efficient management of the segment, following the economy of scale principle.
In order to achieve this, we are working out regulations for the activity of the water associations. These are the bodies which will implement the policies at regional level. Their establishment is effected by virtue of the law. According to it, they incorporate the municipalities located within the respective region. The associations will be managed by the regional governor and the mayors. The state will have also a right to vote. Those associations will sign a management contract with the selected WSW operator. Each region will have the right to keep the current operator or to choose another one. It is possible also the currently acting operators in a region to merge.
We are going to work out an ordinance which will regulate their operation. One year is the free period which will be given to the operators to reduce their activity to conform to the minimum requirements set. Whether this is the case will be assessed by the Regulator.
After long debates in the parliamentary committees, including representatives of NGOs and other public bodies, the members of Parliament adopted at second reading the amendments in the Water Law proposed by MRDPW. When, in your opinion, the proposed amendments will become a fact?
A certain time is needed before these amendments can be put into practice. The road to be walked is a long one but the important thing is to start working in order for the reform in the sector to come true.
On June 22nd 2012 MRDPW signed an agreement for free financial aid under the OPE 2007-2013 for the realization of the project “Support to the Reform in the WSW Sector” amounting to 16 Mil. BGN. What is done so far and what is forthcoming?
The project covers several activities, like working out regulations according to the Water Law and the Law for Regulation of Water and Wastewater Services; development of strategy for water and wastewater segment; setting up a Unified Information System for WSW services and registers of the WSW associations and WSW operators. It envisages also carrying out analysis and assessment of the necessary resources and capacity building for the WSW associations and the regional WSW operators. Training will be provided for representatives of MRDPW, WSW associations, WSW operators, incl. current organization of workshops, round tables and visits. Provisions will be made for equipment for the needs of the associations and for setting up a data base of water systems and equipment.
So far, there is an agreement within the frames of the project for rendering consultant services for development and implementation of a strategy for the WSW segment between MRDPW and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. There is also a signed agreement for “Drafting of Regulations for Functioning of WSW Associations and Ordinance for the Requirements and Criteria for the WSW Operators and their Staff Qualification”, to be executed by DZZD “Obedinenie Eurolex ViK 1”. Several procedures of public procurements are running. The selected contractors shall develop Terms of Reference for the unified information system of WSW services and information system for the WSW systems and equipment. Technical passports of several dams and the associated equipment shall be prepared; these are Yovkovtsi, Srechenska Bara, Kamchia, Novo Panicharevo, Yasna Polyana, Asenovets and Borovitsa.
A number of experts are of the opinion that a separate WSW Law is necessary. A draft was prepared by MRDPW some years ago, passed a public debate but was not adopted. Several governments already introduced amendments in the Water Law related to the WSW segment but did not propose a separate WSW Law. What is your opinion?
In my opinion, a debate should be held about the necessity of a separate WSW Law. The absence of such a law, however, should not hamper the reforms in the sector. That’s why we proposed some amendments in the Water Law in order to better clarify some points. It gives us the foundation to step on, and use it in a better way.
In your opinion, is it necessary the water sector to be governed by one authority and not by 6 ministries? In contrast to the opinion of a number of experts in the water branch the recently adopted Strategy for the water sector retained the current fractured state of obligations and responsibilities of the authorities.
I believe that the implementation of the above mentioned measures will help for the
betterment of the sector’s state. Besides, we are not bound to them only. We are initiating the creation of, or amendments in a number of regulations to this end.
In addition, the amendments in the Water Law make provision for the establishment of Water Infrastructure Dept. at the MRDPW. It will keep information for the real assets being in use. The collection of such information will take time, and there will be a constant refreshment of data. Again, according to the provisions of the Water Law, a register of the water facilities should be set up. We are engaged with the water cadastre too. For both tasks we are preparing tender documents for selection of consultant who has to prepare the procurement procedure. We will make it in two steps because the procedure is complicated and we have no enough capacity. The idea is the register and the cadastre to be compatible and interrelated. As a whole, it will be a long process. The aim is to start now, to create the environment and to try to enter data for the more important and bigger facilities: dams, treatment plants. Further data will be continuously collected.
There will be a clear picture of the duties of the ministries.
The Water Strategy stipulated the establishment of Consultative Council on Water, one of the members being the Minister of RDPW. The Council will decide on key issues of the strategic development of the WSW sector.
Mrs. Pavlova, obviously the reform in the water sector and particularly, in the WSW segment will be difficult and long-lasting one. What is your view on the next successful steps of its implementation?
In order for the reform in the sector to be a success, first the amendments in the Water Law should be adopted. Afterwards, we have to implement it in practice. This is the first step and a key moment in the realization of the amendments. The next important point is the development of the Strategy in the WSW segment.
