Deputy King directs EWA to re-issue bills for next 3 months

Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, directed EWA to continue re-issuing water and electricity invoices for Bahraini citizens at their primary residence (single account), while urging all government entities to “ensure” the accuracy of the services they provide”. Invoices will be re-issued for September, October and November based on last year’s invoices for the same period if they are lower than those issued this year.

The directive was given as the Deputy King met with the President of the National Audit Office (NAO), Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, at Riffa Palace. The Deputy King also directed EWA to expedite the launch of a newly developed invoicing system which ensures the highest level of service in line with international best practices. “It is a national priority to ensure the optimal use of resources while safeguarding the interests of citizens and guaranteeing the Kingdom’s comprehensive development,” said the Deputy King.

Later, Shaikh Ahmed presented an NAO report detailing the preliminary results of an investigation into the mechanisms used to calculate the electricity and water bills for June, July and August. The report detailed technical and procedural aspects of the investigation, which has been conducted by the NAO in line with the directives of HRH. The Deputy King praised the efforts of the NAO and the EWA in preparing the report, stressing the importance of completing the investigation in coordination with all relevant authorities.

The report says that the circumstances which affected the billing system were limited to the beginning of this year’s summer and that timely intervention and recalculation efforts have safeguarded the interests of the customers. Recalculations were done for June, July and August. The Deputy King further stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to upholding the principles of accountability, fairness and transparency across all government entities.

For his part, Shaikh Ahmed expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet the Deputy King and noted HRH’s continued support for meeting the development needs of citizens. The Deputy Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior, Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Dr A.Hussain Bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Finance and National Economy, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa attended the meeting