Maynilad rate hike may be shelved – MWSS
Regulators could order Maynilad Water Services, Inc. to halt the implementation of water rate increases given a continued dispute over the approved adjustments.
“Pinag-aaralan ng MWSS Regulatory Office ang posibilidad ng pansamantalang pagpapahinto ng effectivity ng pagtaas ng presyo ng tubig … habang umaandar ang arbitration proceedings with
Maynilad (The MWSS-RO is studying the possibility of temporarily halting the water price hike … while arbitration proceedings with Maynilad are being conducted),” Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Services (MWSS) Chief Regulator Patrick Lester Ty said in a statement.
Maynilad filed a dispute notice last week against the agency, claiming that rate adjustments approved in September did not allow it to pass on corporate income taxes to consumers.
“We recently filed a dispute notice with the MWSS, as the tariff adjustment that was granted for the 2018 to 2022 rebasing period still excludes the recovery of corporate income taxes (CIT),” the
West Zone concessionaire said in a statement.
The MWSS in September announced the approval of a P5.73 per cubic meter adjustment for Maynilad, to be implemented over four years beginning with a 90-centavo increase in October.
The regulator did not include the CIT in computing the increase, noting that the issue still has to be decided by the Supreme Court despite an earlier arbitral ruling favoring Maynilad.
The West Zone concessionaire said it submitted a new dispute notice as not doing so could be construed as waiving its claim on the recovery of the CIT.
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