SELANGOR DUN | The cost of implementing the free water programme in Selangor is set to reach over RM200 million and will no longer be sustainable if it is extended to all the people in the state next year.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said costs incurred by the state government for the programme have increased from year to year since it was implemented in June 2008.

According to Amirudin (PKR-Sungai Tua), as of October this year, the state government had spent a total of RM1.6 billion for the programme.

"For 2008, the state government spent RM68 million, RM131 million was spent in 2009, for 2014 (RM167 million), RM179 million (in 2016) and for 2017 it was RM187 million.

"If it is continued in 2019 it will cost more than RM200 million, which is about 10 percent of the state’s budget, and this is not sustainable," he said in reply to Lee Kee Hiong (DAP-Kuala Kubu Bharu) during the state assembly meeting in Shah Alam today.

She wanted to know the cost of implementing the free water programme in Selangor.

Under the 2019 Selangor Budget tabled on Nov 23, free water will only be given to the B40 group to reduce their monthly living costs. The amount of water allocated has also been increased from 20 cubic metres to 25 cubic metres per month.

Amirudin, when tabling the budget, said that the increase in the number of residents in Selangor was among the main reasons for the free water scheme is to only be given to the B40 target group.

– Bernama