By Martha Louis – EMTV News, Madang
Nineteen Water PNG Limited registered customers have been taken to court by the water management company over the non-payment of water bills. Business Centre Manager, Joe Agavi, says close to 400 default customers in Madang have not shown any interest in paying their bills. Agavi says another 100 lot of customers will appear in the District Court after the first nineteen customers.
“We brought 19 to court last Friday… 19 default summons have been issued and they were given time to settle; and we are now working another hundred…Those ones that are rigid that havent been coming to see us, we’re taking them to court,” stated Water PNG’s Business Centre Manager, Joe Agavi- Ltd.
Information received from the Water PNG head office in Madang, default customers in owe Water PNG close to about half a million kina in outstanding bills. Water PNG, formally known as Water Board, is carrying out a nationwide debt recovery exercise for customers to pay their bills. The nation-wide operation started in Kokopo (East New Britain Province) to Lae (Morobe Province), and now in Madang. The next province in line to be next is East Sepik Province.
Water PNG Madang clarified that it will not lay charges against customers who have met with them and have agreed on repayment plans; they are only targeting default customers who have not made any attempt at all to settle their payments.
Meanwhile, those using water from illegal connections will also be dealt with.
“There are hefty fines…we are actually talking to the police to work together with them and the community leaders to come in to the communities, and we will identify them,” warned the Business Centre Manager.
