Thessaloniki Mayors want public management of EYATH

Against the tender for the privatization of EYATH are the municipalities of Thessaloniki, who seem decided to take over the management of water, requiring that TAIPED transfers its 51% stakes in the company to their control.

Article by Fani Sovitsli republication from Makedonia newspaper

translation SAVEGREEKWATER team

Furthermore, if their proposal is not accepted by the Greek public, they intend to participate in the contest in collaboration with the “Movement 136″, ensuring the necessary funding through loans.

The overall proposal that the municipalities undertake the management of EYATH was discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Regional Association of Municipalities(PAE) of Central Macedonia, where the mayors appeared firmly opposed to the bidding process for the privatization of the company. They pointed out that water is an important development resource and can not be sold off to individuals. In this context the elected officials unanimously agreed with the proposal made by the President of PAE Simos Daniilidis the municipalities undertake water management through the creation of an inter-municipal water supply and sewerage company or an joint stock company whose shareholders will be the municipalities. PAE will seek legislation that will allow for the creation of this inter-municipal shape, as is the case in many European cities so that the management and assets of EYATH are transferred to it. According to Mr. Daniilidis, who filed the same proposal and the meeting of the company’s employees, the 14 municipalities of Thessaloniki will ask the Greek public, specifically TAIPED, to transfer its 51% percentage of the stocks of EYATH to them while at the same time they plan to expand ΕΥΑΤΗ network across the prefecture. In case the proposal is not accepted, the elected officials are considering to engage with the ‘Citizens’ Movement 136‘ in the tender for the sale of EYATH, the period of which expires on 29 April. “The municipalities may benefit from their borrowing capacity to ensure the sum needed for their participation in the tender“, said the president of PAE.

THE MUNICIPALITIES TO TAKE THE WATER

In favor of a pragmatic proposal of the local government to manage the water is also the vice president of PAE of Central Macedonia Theodoros Papadopoulos, stating that he does not understand the reasons why the state wants to sell a natural resource, which anyway is profitable. “I am not of those who are excommunicating privatization, but in this case we are talking about a natural resource valuable to development, that the local government can manage by submitting a reliable and realistic proposal,” said Papadopoulos. He added that he is willing to discuss the proposal of the Citizens ‘Movement 136‘ who call for a cooperative water management, with the participation of municipalities, but the mayors must, he said, at any rate, go ahead on this matter and submit a credible proposal to take water in their hands, preventing the private interests from taking over. A position against to the tender for the privatization of EYATH also took the PAE Board members Kyrizoglou Lazaros and Diamantis Papadopoulos, underlining that the municipalities of Thessaloniki must resist the sellout of the company which is promoted with fast track procedures.