Public want clear action over water bills scandal

Given the seriousness of the situation, the Chief Minister brushed aside holding an inquiry, in other words he was being legalistic about it, when obviously what was meant was that there be an inquiry or an investigation or call it what you like, because this is warranted to get to the root of the problem.

Following immense public complaints, this is the question we put to him at this week's Government press conference:

"There have been numerous complaints about exhorbitant bills received from AquaGib.

"The company says that they normally read meters, but during the lockdown they have been calculating amounts due.

"Given that some bills have been considerably higher than normal, even ten times higher, customers are asking what kind of calculations have AquaGib been doing. Would the Chief Minister agree that a proper public inquiry should be undertaken to establish what AquaGib has been up to?

The idea of coming up with feeble excuses, such as that there have been more people in confinement and that this has led to increase usage, is nonsense.

The Chief Minister says that the Government is taking the matter up with AquaGib, but the level of the miscalculations makes this the kind of serious matter that goes beyond normal action.

Reaction in social media and elsewhere have shown that the public want deeper action about the miscalculations.

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02-07-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR