Macao SAR gov't inks new deal to buy water from mainland

MACAO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao Water Supply Company (SAAM) signed a 20-year concession contract, under which the SAR government will purchase raw water from the Chinese mainland directly, giving the government more control of the water supply service, the local Macao Post Daily reported Tuesday.

Susana Wong Soi Man, director of the Maritime Administration (CP) made the remarks Monday after officials from the local government and SAAM signed the new contract, which will take effect on July 8 next year.

Macao Post Daily quoted Wong as saying that the local government will be purchasing raw water directly from the Chinese mainland, then selling it to SAAM under the new contract, rather than SAAM buying raw water directly from Zhuhai city in southeastern Guangdong Province.

"The government will have more control. If the cost of raw water in the mainland rises, as the government is the buyer of raw water, the government will bear that cost, and work out how much SAAM will have to pay back to the government," Wong said, adding that the cost of raw water won't be directly passed on to residents in this way.

Wong said the government is currently investigating a restructuring of the water tariffs, aiming to promote water saving by consumers.