The local delegation of left-wing political party Bloco de Esquerda has slammed the rising water prices in Faro, which “can easily exceed 25% in some cases”.
“FAGAR, the company in charge of water distribution in the municipality of Faro, which despite being private is 51% owned by Faro Municipal Council, has decided without prior notice to increase water and sanitation bills in Faro,” the party explains in a statement to the press.
“In no other municipality in the Algarve was there an increase like this,” the party says, adding that the company has shieled itself from criticism by citing the rules of the Regulating Entity for Water and Waste Services (ERSAR) and the 6% increase approved by the local council.
BE accuses the company of “speculation” and of “imposing increases which almost treble the inflation rate and are even higher than those registered in food products”.
“Faro’s Bloco de Esquerda repudiates this attack on the spending power of the people of Faro and calls on citizens to not conform to this unfair and speculative increase, which contributes significantly to the increase of inflation in Faro,” the party says.
“Certain that the (price) increases of essential goods such as water and sanitation have an enormous impact on everyone’s spending power, but especially on those with smaller incomes, Bloco de Esquerda calls on all political forces of the municipality to mobilise to revert this brutal increase,” it adds.
