Editor’s note: Our reporter has tried many times to discuss this situation with both Infralobo and Loulé Council (part owners of Infralobo). Every time she came up against an extreme unwillingness to give details. At no point could anyone justify charging people a bed tax in their water bills. A spokesman for Loulé council simply confirmed that there was “no authority empowered to declare Infralobo’s actions illegal”.
Dear Sirs,
As right of reply to the articles published in this newspaper, and which in general are untruths, we request the publication of our response.
Over the last year, and at the start of 2016, notably in the Portugal Resident, defamatory and false news items about the company INFRALOBO, E.M. have been printed, focusing on how the company operates and the fees it charges. One person in particular, who has tried to blacken the name of the company, is Mr. Anthony Cooke, a property owner in the ‘Vale do Garrão’ residential development, who has claimed many falsehoods, to which, in this right of reply, we would now like to restore a correct version of events.
INFRALOBO has expanded its area of operations to include the residential developments bordering Vale do Lobo, in a perfectly legal process, concerning which the property owners within the new areas have already been legally informed, and which only a few owners continue to oppose, since this was duly approved by the competent authorities in this matter, legalising and regulating the quality of water supply in these areas, which was formerly not undertaken, calling public health into question and enabling associated tax unlawfulness.
INFRALOBO is currently making a review of the tariffs it charges (not because of these complaints, but due to associated investments in the period of the approved Delegated Management Contract and which require for tariffs to be reviewed). This process does not depend solely and exclusively on INFRALOBO’s action, rather on several bodies (such as Loulé Council and ERSAR). It is currently waiting for the respective report from the Regulating Body (ERSAR) in this phase.
Contrary to what has appeared in the national and international press, INFRALOBO has not cut any customer’s water supply when their bill has been properly and promptly paid, and in the situation related by the Portugal Resident, concerning Mr. Anthony Cooke, the cut was due to him not effectively paying outstanding amounts. The customer in question believes he is paying the amounts he considers legal (variable water tariffs), but Portuguese legislation and the Regulating Body in its regulations, considered that bills are only deemed paid when the service has been paid in full, i.e. the fixed and variable fees for services provided (Water Supply, Sanitation and Solid Urban Waste Collection).
Legislation also requires INFRALOBO to carry out meter readings, at least twice a year, allowing it to invoice customers on an estimation basis from water use in previous years and water consumption in similar properties. Our policy has been to take readings every month from our customers, a policy that has been hampered only by Mr. Anthony Cooke, who has not allowed us access to his meter to confirm how much water he has used and the readings he sends us.
INFRALOBO is a company incorporated under Portuguese Law, subject to Portuguese legislation and European Directives and in these matters it limits itself to complying with what is legislated; it would be incomprehensible and make no sense not to do so.
We have shown our openness and readiness to resolve this situation, always within the legislation in force, which has not proved possible due to the intransigence of Mr. Anthony Cooke on being treating differently and specially.
Yours sincerely,
INFRALOBO
Editor’s note: Our reporter has tried many times to discuss this situation with both Infralobo and Loulé Council (part owners of Infralobo). Every time she came up against an extreme unwillingness to give details. At no point could anyone justify charging people a bed tax in their water bills. A spokesman for Loulé council simply confirmed that there was “no authority empowered to declare Infralobo’s actions illegal”.
