At today’s session, the Government of the Sarajevo Canton adopted a decision to adopt a revised price list for the municipal service of drinking water supply and wastewater collection and treatment, provided by KJKP “Vodovod i kanalizacija” d.o.o. Sarajevo.
“The proposed price list of the Independent Expert Body that determined the cost price of water service delivery has not been fully accepted, because its implementation would represent an excessive financial burden for households in the Sarajevo Canton. Given the current economic situation, the Government has decided, although the price of the service has not been revised since 2013, not to implement the proposed increase in full,” said the Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Physical Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of the Sarajevo Canton, Mladen Pandurević.
According to this adjustment, the price of the service for citizens in the Household category, for the largest number of users who are from the consumer category of 5-30m3, will be 1.66 BAM per m3 instead of the previous 1.25 BAM per m3, as well as the fixed part of the price, which was previously 2.00 BAM, will now be 3.26 BAM.
The new price list will be applied from July 1, 2025.
Minister Pandurević states that the reasons for making this decision are multiple. Service prices have not been adjusted for 12 years, although in the meantime the costs of materials, labor, maintenance, and especially electricity, which accounts for a large part of business costs, have increased significantly.
The previous tariffs did not cover the depreciation of fixed assets used to provide services, which jeopardized the technical sustainability and development of the water supply system, and the costs of wastewater treatment were not included in the prices, although the Butile wastewater treatment plant has been in operation since 2017 and represents an important segment of environmental protection and public health, the Sarajevo Canton Protocol and Press Service announced.
The harmonization of the prices of these services includes all the aforementioned costs, and the financial sustainability of the cantonal public company that supplies these services was also taken into account. This price list also introduced two new categories of users: Municipal companies in the field of water supply – due to their specific function and volume of consumption, and Users in the Bjelašnica and Igman locations – given the rapid development of these areas, the increased number of users and the more technically demanding delivery of water due to the altitude and distance from the main network, the statement said.
“Increasing the price of water is a politically courageous, but necessary decision that has been delayed for years. We did not accept the proposal of an independent body to increase the price by more than 67%, because it would be socially insensitive. The decision we made balances the needs of the system and the protection of citizens. We expect the ViK company to urgently improve the quality of services, increase efficiency and justify the trust of citizens. Water must be accessible, but also safe, and this requires responsible management and investments that can no longer be avoided,” said the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk.
The government remains committed to improving the utility infrastructure, ensuring quality services and protecting natural resources, in partnership with citizens and utility companies, the Sarajevo Canton Government announced.
