Daniel Menéndez, general manager of the Uruguayan Supermarket Association (ASU), said on Tuesday that there will be no water supply problems despite the increase in demand for bottled water.
“It is notorious that water consumption has increased OSE water salinity product. The sale is two or three times higher than usual. But it will not generate shortage problems. There will be no problems with supplying water in the short and medium term“, Menéndez said according to Telemundo.
“There are no drums because one was prepared for a certain demand for drums,” he maintained, but affirmed that “It is for a replacement issue“. “Otherwise you cannot cope with the replacement, water takes up a lot of space and if someone takes ten drums bringing them is very complicated. It is limited so that everyone has a chance to access, not because there is a shortage,” he claimed.
“The important thing here is to be calm and buy what is necessary because there will be”, said this Tuesday.
Asked if there was a price increase in bottled water, Menéndez replied: “As far as I am aware, no, the price list has not been modified”.
Cosse’s proposals: import and water without VAT
The Mayor of Montevideo, Carolina Cosse, presented 20 measures to address the drinking water deficit after the meeting he held with members of the Executive Power and other departmental mayors this Monday.
Among other points, Cosse asked to evaluate remove VAT from bottled drinking water and be awarded a minimum free water supply to beneficiary families from the Ministry of Social Development.
Another of the proposed measures is that the price of bottled water is controlled due to the increase in demand.
In turn, he also requested that the importation of bottled water is facilitated.