Okaz/Saudi Gazette BURAIDAH — Citizens all over the Kingdom have welcomed the recent statement made by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, in which he said the new water tariff will be reviewed. Citizens were unanimous that the Kingdom's leaders were keen about the interests of their subjects. They said the prince's statement on reviewing the water tariff was a message of reassurance to all citizens. Faisal Al-Habbad, a Saudi citizen, said the justification of the Ministry of Water and Electricity to increase the water tariff was not at all realistic. Mohammed Al-Turki, another citizen, said the current global economic crisis and the drop in oil prices necessitated measures without harming citizens. Salman Mohammed said the ministry's willingness to receive complaints from consumers was only an attempt to absorb the shock that was created by the new water tariff. "Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad's statement about reviewing the new water tariff is an important step toward alleviating the financial burden on citizens," he said. A number of citizens asked if they could get reimbursement for the large sums of money they had paid for the tariff. They also suggested that the ministry could keep the extra amount as advance deposits to settle the next bill. Mohammed Al-Harbe, who owns a chain of furnished apartments, said Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad had put an end to an issue which had really troubled all consumers. He said that a number of accommodation projects might face losses because of the high water tariff. The National Water Company (NWC) issues water bills every three months. The Consumers' Protection Association has demanded that the Ministry of Water and Electricity conduct a comprehensive study before it introduces the new tariff. Consumers' Protection Association head Sulaiman Al-Samahi said the association has contacted the Minister of Water and Electricity and asked that he reevaluate the decision of increasing water tariff. Many consumers contacted the National Water Company claiming that their water bill had increased drastically. The ministry apologized for the glitch and compensated the consumers affected.
