The price of water may increase to as much as three times the current rate within two years from now. The price may also be made different for industrial and domestic users.
"Since former premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) had publicly announced that the nation's water prices will not change within two years, the Cabinet will make good on his promise," said Hwang Jing-san (黃金山), director of the Water Resources Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
"However, we're studying the possibility of increasing the prices after that," he said.
Hwang made the remarks after briefing Premier Yu Shyi-kun on the agency's evaluation report during a closed-door meeting at the Executive Yuan yesterday afternoon.
Currently, citizens and companies in Taipei City are charged an average of NT$7.5 per standard unit for the water they consume, while residents and companies located outside the city pay an average of NT$9.5 per standard unit.
It is now very possible that residents may in the future have to pay NT$22 per unit while industries may have to pay even more, because the agency is considering making the price of industrial-usage water more expensive than that of water for household purposes.
Even with the threefold price hike, Hwang said, the prices would still be reasonable compared to those in other countries.
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