New initiatives for improving drinking water supply are set to be initiated

The Cabinet of Ministers has released a preliminary decision regarding the enhancement of public-private collaboration in the domains of drinking water provision and wastewater management.

This decision entails the endorsement of regulations concerning:

- Criteria for selecting private partners
- Conditions for identifying locations for public-private partnership initiatives
- Execution of such projects, entailing delineation of interests, rights, obligations, and responsibilities of involved parties
- Establishment of service tariffs and operation protocols within the framework of these projects.

Additionally, the following key points have been outlined:

a) Public-private partnership ventures concerning drinking water supply and sewage management encompass activities like design, construction, renovation, equipment provision, modernization, financing, utilization, and maintenance of service infrastructure.

b) Agreements' durations are to be jointly determined by the government and the private entity, ranging between three to 49 years.

c) Upon contract expiration, land plots, equipment, and constructed facilities assigned to the private partner during project execution will be transferred back to the public entity.

The Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Economy is tasked with the following:

- By June 1, 2024, and annually thereafter by February 1, defining and assessing primary efficiency criteria for drinking water supply entities and suggesting management strategies for inefficient organizations under the framework of public-private partnerships.
- Publishing service offers for areas lacking drinking water supply and sewage management services through mass media and its official website, based on public-private partnership models.