Government purchase of AquaGib must improve future resilience
It is obvious that the Government and AquaGib both acted quickly to mitigate the situation and restore supply but where do we go from here?
ONLY 33%
AquaGib is not a Government-owned company. Unlike GJBS or the Gibraltar Bus Company which are fully owned by the taxpayer, AquaGib is only 33% owned by the Government which puts the taxpayer in a minority of the shareholding. This means that in certain areas, and subject to the contract to supply water to consumers, the company has retained a considerable degree of operational independence which other companies in this nebulous public-private space do not enjoy.
UTILITIES
It will be recalled that water supply was initially contracted out to the French company Lyonnaise des Eaux. This was part of the modernization of Gibraltar’s infrastructure through the involvement of international companies in the provision of utilities. That trend also saw the American firm Nynex of New York take over the domestic telephone service at a time when Cable and Wireless and then British Telecom did the same with international communications.
ONLY 33%
AquaGib is not a Government-owned company. Unlike GJBS or the Gibraltar Bus Company which are fully owned by the taxpayer, AquaGib is only 33% owned by the Government which puts the taxpayer in a minority of the shareholding. This means that in certain areas, and subject to the contract to supply water to consumers, the company has retained a considerable degree of operational independence which other companies in this nebulous public-private space do not enjoy.
UTILITIES
It will be recalled that water supply was initially contracted out to the French company Lyonnaise des Eaux. This was part of the modernization of Gibraltar’s infrastructure through the involvement of international companies in the provision of utilities. That trend also saw the American firm Nynex of New York take over the domestic telephone service at a time when Cable and Wireless and then British Telecom did the same with international communications.
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2-08-22 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
