On March 16, Riga City Council Housing and Environment Committee supported the legislative act regarding permission to end SIA Rigas udens’ part in Aqua Riga company.
As it is known, there are plans to liquidate SIA Rigas udens subsidiary Aqua Riga.
On March 16, the head of the Housing and Environment Committee Edmunds Cepuritis said the goals that were set for the company had not been accomplished and the project was therefore a failure. Packaging water in PET bottles caused losses for the municipality.
According to Cepuritis, by continuing water packaging, Rigas udens turns against its own goals for environmental protection by increasing the amount of the most common and dangerous forms of pollution – PET bottles.
Rigas udens manager Dagnija Kalnina reports Aqua Riga was founded ten years ago. The main objective of its subsidiary was increasing water consumption. However, the decisions made by the government over the years and change of strategic interests have prevented accomplishment of this goal.
Kalnina stressed that this did help improve the quality of drinking water the company supplied to residents. Rigas udens invested EUR 48 million towards the improvement of the quality of water. One of the most important tasks to accomplish this goal was the construction of a de-ironing station at Baltezers. This helped the company reduce the saturation of iron in Riga residents’ tap water.
If the decision is made to liquidate Aqua Riga, an assessment of assets will follow. Kalnina admits that currently the company’s losses reach more than EUR 100,000.
Although the company’s account for 2020 is not yet ready, it is clear Covid-19 crisis will have impacted the turnover of SIA Aqua Riga.
The final decision will be made by the Riga City Council.
SIA Aqua Riga was founded in 2012 as a subsidiary of Rigas udens for the production of packaged drinking water.
Since its foundation the company has mostly worked with some losses, except for 2016, when the company’s profits were at EUR 3,760, and 2019, when the company’s profits were only EUR 32. (BNN/Business World Magazine)
