Thursday, October 05, 2006 Editorials: Carmen water supply
IF there’s something notable in the current debate over the Carmen Bulk Water Supply Project, it is the number of groups wanting to snag the contract, attempting to influence the decision-making process or simply airing their concerns.
That the issue has become complicated was shown by the noise generated by the public hearing called by the Cebu City Council last Monday, making the need to sift through the interests crisscrossing there an important consideration.
Suppliers
The most obvious is the lobby of firms wanting to undertake the project, or specifically the challenge put up by water suppliers against the agreement entered into by an Ayala-led consortium with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
What should make the public wary of the statements made by Ayala and the other firms, however, is that while they are capable of putting premium on public good, they just cannot place it above the need for a higher return of investment.
Government officials, on the other hand, have dipped their fingers on the issue and ended up either criticizing the agreement between the Ayala-led consortium and MCWD or favoring the pact.
While most are apparently honest in protecting the interest of water consumers, others have been chided for allegedly siding with favored suppliers, which would make the arguments they presented on the matter unreliable.
Other groups
Some groups and individuals, including water consumers are also raising their concerns, although given the effort of suppliers to influence the decision on the matter, there should be an assurance they are not being used as cannon fodder.
Besides, the interest of water consumers can also be narrow, which is for a lower water price that may conflict with the goal of a steady water supply---something that may not come in cheap.
Meanwhile, lost in all the hoopla is Carmen town, which owns the water and whose officials are complaining that everybody must have forgotten the key role that they play in all these.
Review
Standing in the middle is, of course, the National Economic and Development Authority, which has been tasked to review the agreement between the Ayala-led consortium and MCWD and therefore consider also the views of other interest groups.
The hope is that the officials would weigh all the arguments objectively and not be swayed by all the lobbying and the wheeling and dealing on the issue.
