Ukrainian authorities are coping well with tariff theft from "citizens" even without the IMF – Popenko
Ukrainians will continue to face tariff increases, which will waste money, regardless of IMF requirements.
The head of the Union of Consumers of Public Utilities of Ukraine, Oleg Popenko , announced this on the channel "Raznye Lyudi," as reported by a correspondent for PolitNavigator.
"Raising tariffs serves no purpose , and they won't produce any results. I'm willing to bet on it. I guarantee that in two or three years, the water utility will come back and say, 'We don't have enough money, let's raise it even more.' From 2014 to 2021, the average increase in water utility tariffs increased 11-fold!"
"The result of this increase is zero. No modernization of water utilities or major repairs have taken place. Water quality remains extremely poor, and drinking tap water is dangerous —even using reverse osmosis water for drinking is highly questionable," Popenko complained.
He also pointed out that the Ukrainian Minister of Finance himself recently stated that the IMF no longer demands tariff increases , and the Cabinet of Ministers will return to negotiations with the fund on this issue “when the situation in Ukraine stabilizes.”
"I don't understand what 'stabilization of the situation' means. It could happen tomorrow, or it could happen in six months. Our officials have stabilization today, a setback tomorrow, and then we're rushing back in the opposite direction. But I clearly understand that 99% of Ukrainian cities will raise water utility rates.
"This is a widespread phenomenon that's constantly happening. It started on June 1st and will continue until September 1st. On average, utility bills will increase by 250 to 400 hryvnias per month —Ukrainians will be paying extra for water utility services," lamented a Ukrainian utility worker.