The proposal to maintain the tariff of AGERE – Empresa de Água Effluentes e Residos de Braga, EM for 2024 was approved, yesterday, in a chamber meeting with the PS voting against and the CDU abstaining. The proposal foresees that the tariff remains unchanged in all values relating to AGERE services, however the opposition considers the proposal insufficient, stating that “there is scope for greater release from the effort of Braga families”, defending the reduction of tariffs and prices .
In the proposal, AGERE notes that this measure “translates into a consolidation of the evolution of the aforementioned tariff, despite the generalized increase in prices recorded in 2022 and 2023”. Thus, “AGERE continues to pursue the strategy of reducing the difference between the real prices of the cost of these services and the amounts charged to consumers”, he notes.
However, at the chamber meeting, which took place yesterday morning, the Socialist Party voted against the proposal, with councilor Artur Feio justifying that the PS “understands that there is scope for freeing the efforts of Braga families in relation to those who have been the AGERE tariffs”. “We are talking about a company that has released successive profits over the years. There are 8 million euros in profits, and we understand that part of this profit should go directly to the people of Braga”. The socialist councilor left the guarantee that the AGERE tariff reduction will be included in next year’s PS electoral program. “I have no doubts,” he assured.
Artur Feio also highlighted that Braga’s situation is not comparable to any other municipality in the country. “We are the only company with collection, treatment and supply without depending on anyone, unlike most municipalities in the country. Therefore, we have low water costs, a company that generates a lot of money, and this money should be returned to the people of Braga. That’s what we understand, that’s what the PS would do,” he said.
In turn, the CDU abstained from the vote as it recognized that “the non-increase in prices, taking into account the inflation rate in recent years, ends up being something positive and in line with what we have been demanding”, said councilor Vítor Rodrigues. However, he added, “we also recognized that it was possible to go further, namely by reducing prices”.
The president of Braga City Council, Ricardo Rio, noted that “AGERE tariffs have been showing a trend of at least stabilization and on many occasions a decline. In other words, during these 10 years there have been several occasions when we have lowered prices, either for the general population or for specific classes of AGERE customers. Therefore, AGERE’s global trend has never been one of increasing costs, it has always been one of stabilization.”
Rio considered that “in a year in which recent inflation rates reached close to 10%, not increasing it is, in comparative terms, a real reduction in the cost of services”.
The mayor also challenged opposition councilors to “try to identify another city where prices have followed the path they followed here in Braga”.
“AGERE is recognized as one of the entities that has the lowest service costs for the population and one of the highest levels of quality. Therefore, if it is true that profits have been increasing, this is not due to an increase in prices, but to the increase in business volume and efficiency in management and cost reduction”, he guaranteed.
