Water tankers filling at the newly-built water-point in Juba. (Photo: Eye Radio).

The South Sudan Urban Water Corporation is set to increase water tariffs at filling stations to 200 pounds per drum next month, citing operation challenges.

Yar Paul Kuol, the Managing Director of South Sudan Urban Water Corporation revealed this to Eye Radio in an exclusive interview in Juba on Tuesday.

She says the new changes were reached during a board meeting held on the 15^th of this month.

According to Yar, the decision to increase the tariff is to avoid total closure of the institution’s operation.

“On the 15th of February, we had a board meeting with our board chair and the members and we brought to their attention that If we don’t increase as South Sudan Urban Water Corporation, we are going to close down, we will diminish until we shut down,” said Yar.

“When we showed the board the calculation, they said that it is very hard to raise it from 100 to 400 so it is going to be unaffordable since it is not affordable,” she said.

“We have approved to increase this tariff to 200 SSP per drum it is going to be effective by March.”

She added that the government is looking for over 500 million US dollars to construct a mega water network of 200 cubic meters to supply Juba with clean and affordable tap water.

According to her, once the 500 to 700 million US dollars is approved, the construction of the 180 to 200 cubic meters of water supply system in the next five years

The strategic plan is currently under review.