Parliamentary Representative for the constituency St. Andrew's South-East Kenrick Fullerton is calling for an inquiry into the tampering of meters belonging to the state controlled National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA).

He called on the New National Party(NNP) administration of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell during a sitting of the Lower House last Tuesday to look into reports as it relates to high level officials interfering with their water meters.

The system was introduced here over two years ago and company officials say it is geared towards getting consumers to conserve water. It is a sore issue for consumers however who see it as a money making opportunity for the company since they are charged a monthly rental of $8 for the meter even though some times they do not receive any water.

Last year, the then Public Utilities Minister Gregory Bowen promised that government will remove the rental charges on all water meters.

Fullerton who is associated with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) told a sitting during the Adjournment that, high level officials are illegally removing their water meters from their property.

According to the National Water and Sewerage Authority Act, anyone who tampers with a meter commits a criminal offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine or imprisonment or both.
Although he did not call names, he used the sitting to call on government to investigate his claim since he said it is unfair to the ordinary consumers.

Sources told this newspaper that Fullerton statement is based on information he picked up in one of the rural constituencies about a government official who removed the meter from his property.

She said that the individual who is closely aligned with the NNP is reported to have done so in order for him to avoid his large monthly bill.

The source stated that officials at NAWASA are aware of what had taken place at the home of the individual and that it is still not clear as to whether or not they had called in the police.

According to the source what is clear though is that NAWASA had since installed another meter at the home of the official.

Fullerton also called on government to reconsider the random disconnection of consumers especially those in his constituency and to come up with some way of assisting them in paying their bills.