2024-04-29 18:40:08
With the… hope that the Ministry of the Environment will back down from its initial plans for the integration of the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Companies and the corresponding services of the Municipalities at the regional level, the mayors of Epirus voted in favor of the “counter-proposal”, submitted by the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, in collaboration with the Union of DEYA.
The matter occupied the board meeting of the Regional Union of Epirus Municipalities, at noon on Friday, with the proposal of KEDE looking like the only “way out” to solve the existing problems of DEYAI, such as the lack of staff and the debts due to energy costs, but also for the optimal future management of water, drinking and irrigation.
The proposal was made by the president of the PED, the mayor of Igoumenitsa, Panagiotis Dais, while the president of the DEWA of Ioannina, Giorgos Papadiotis, was mentioned in the bill, which was allegedly drafted by the Ministry, before the proposal of the KEDE.
Both stressed, however, that rapid developments are expected after the European elections, with the “good” scenario being the acceptance of the KEDE proposal by the Ministry. Any developments are expected within the summer, given that by the end of the year around 250 million euros have been committed from the Recovery Fund, with the aim of being given to the DEYAs for the repayment of their debts, in order for the new “schemes”, either at the level of the Regional Unit proposed by KEDE, or at the level of the Region proposed by the Ministry, to start their operation with zero debts.
“KEDE’s proposal is the best solution”, noted the mayor of Zitsa, Michalis Pliakos, expressing fears that otherwise the price of water would rise, as happened in the case of waste.
Mayor G. Karaiskakis Periklis Migdos raised the issue of the inclusion of the Water Supply Associations, which had previously been created in the context of inter-municipal collaborations, in the planning of KEDE, while there should be no retreat even in the issues of staff recruitment and subsidizing energy costs was requested by Preveza mayor Nikos Georgakos.
KEDE’s proposal includes lifting the ban on recruitment at PPC, funding from both European and national resources, as well as changing the tariff paid by PPC to PPC, from residential to industrial.