Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) is to approve Tuesday аn updated water tariff for Sofia.

Several days ago, the watchdog announced it would reduce the tariff by around 4% after it emerged that the concessionaire, water utility Sofiyska Voda, had failed to implement a part of the investment business plan, the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reminded.

DKEVR concluded that the Sofia water utility had failed to reduce water losses, which had been a condition under which the current price of BGN 1.76 per cubic meter had been set.

Meanwhile, Sofiyska Voda demanded that the tariff go up by 14% due to the increased costs of the company related to its investments, the inflation rate, and the higher fuel prices.

Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, however, repeatedly dismissed the demands of the concessionaire as unfounded, calling on the energy watchdog to reject the price increase proposal.

The lower price of water in Sofia is to take effect at the end of April.