Water firm threatens to cut water to Juba Teaching Hospital over unpaid bills

JUBA – The South Sudan Urban Water Corporation (SSUWC) has threatened to cut water supply to Juba Teaching Hospital due to unpaid arrears of 14 million South Sudanese Pounds.

Yar Paul Kuol, Managing Director, South Sudan Urban Water Corporation said water could be cut off if Juba Teaching Hospital doesn’t pay what it owed to South Sudan Urban Water Corporation within one month.

“The current issue where I notified the Ministry of Health is because of the National Revenue Authority which is collecting the every fee including water bill and we may end up not operating,” Paul said.

Paul said they have already notified the Ministry of Health to clear the bill or face water cut.

“We have a policy of giving bills of water to our clients every one month, and maybe the second month, we give you a reminder that you have been overdue for two months and in the third month, we will give you a warning that if you don’t pay then we are going to cut the water,” she said.

The South Sudan Urban Water Corporation reached an agreement with Ministries of Health and Finance on the supply of clean water to the main hospital in 2019.

She said the Ministry of Finance was obligated with the payment of the operational and maintenance costs but never complained of this agreement.

“The policy was that fees collected were deposited to the account of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance in return will finance our operation and maintenance cost,”  she said.

South Sudan Urban Water Corporation (SSUWC) is a public utility run by the government and mandated by the Presidential Act of 2011 to provide safe and clean drinking water to the citizens in the Urban Areas.