GEORGE TOWN - Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has been directed to offer water tariff rebate for non-domestic consumption to registered schools in the state.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said all registered government, private, international schools, colleges, religious schools and kindergartens may apply for the rebate.
"The 30 per cent rebate for schools, categorised under non-domestic consumers, is for six months from April to September this year.
"School administrators must apply for the rebate from PBAPP before Sept 30. Applications are open from today and the form can be downloaded from PBAPP website (https://pba.com.my/penang-water-tariffs/)," he said in a statement today.
He said the state government made the decision as a show of appreciation to maintain and support good relations with the 1,712 primary and secondary schools which have been providing education to thousands of children.
Chow who is also PBAPP chairman said through the federal government regulation on "Water Services Industry (rates for Water Supply Services) (State of Penang) (Amendment) Regulations 2022” gazetted on July 29, to implement a water tariff review for "nondomestic consumption” it was clearly stated that water usage in schools must be billed under "non-domestic use".
He said a similar federal regulation was gazetted on July 27, 2022 for implementation in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Terengganu and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
"Therefore, it is clear that the previous federal government had gazetted a new water tariff for "non-domestic consumption" not only for Penang, but for all states in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan on July 27, 2022.
"It is also clear that it was the previous federal government that had set and approved the regulations that had categorised water consumption in schools as "non-domestic consumption, not PBAPP or the Penang state government," he said.
However, he said taking into account the feedback from the school authorities, PBAPP has agreed to bear the six-month rebate cost for schools as its corporate social responsibility commitment to Penang with the total cost estimated at RM2.1 million.
He said PBAPP was also maintaining Penang’s average domestic water tariff for the first 35,000 litres per month at RM0.32 per 1,000 litres this year and this is the lowest domestic water tariff in Malaysia and one of the lowest in Asia.
"In 2022, the total domestic tariff subsidy borne by PBAPP amounted to RM103.7 million which benefited 585,740 households," he added. - BERNAMA